Naruto Invoke: Overdrive
by Keyote
Summary: An alternate Naruto story where there is only a sensei and one pupil per team. The story about a boy seeking his place in the world and the events and people that will shape his life and bring him into his ultimate destiny.
1. 11 The Next Mission

Neither I nor Azure Poe 21 own Naruto or it's characters. They are the property of Kishimoto Masashi and his bosses at Shonen Jump.

The following is a collaboration between Poe and Keyote based on our shared view on what Naruto may have been like if certain things had not been done at editor request (from our personal beliefs and from we have heard) and from info gathered from various things Kishimoto has said in his many notes and interview's about the series.

The story below starts with the second arc, which introduces Hinata. Once completed, I'll go back and do the first arc (making it out that Naruto is telling Hinata about it via flashback).

**Naruto Overdrive**

**Chpt. 11: The Next Mission**

Naruto opened his eyes, groaning a little as he sat up in his bed. Looking over at the three pictures sitting on the table by his bed as he always did each morning, he sighed as he got up and prepared for the mission he and Kakashi would be getting today.

Once he was dressed in his usual attire, black pants and a black long sleeved shirt with an orange vest that was blue along the shoulders and a white turtle neck that wrapped his neck and red spiral design on the back, he ate his usual breakfast of ramen before heading out to head to the Konoha Shinobi HQ.

After emerging from his small hut that he called home and entered into the main section of the village, Naruto's neutral features immediately shifted into his normal scowl as he saw the happy families and young couples around him. He sped up his walking in order to escape this sight as soon as possible.

The truth was though that he didn't hate any of them. Well, he didn't hate them for being happy like this. After all, families are suppose to shown love, encouragement, and support to one another while young couples showing each other affection was also a natural thing. No, he didn't hate them. He was jealous of them. And why was he jealous of them?

Because seeing this just compounded the truth he knew was his life. And that truth was that this was a world he would never know.

He soon arrived outside the the large building were the shinobi of Konoha would gather and receive their mission's from their leader and his advisers. As he entered and made his way to the briefing room, the negative looks being sent his way didn't fail to escape his notice or his irritation over it.

Arriving outside the briefing room, Naruto stopped and realized that Kakashi was likely not going to be inside when he entered. Shaking his head at that thought, he knocks on the door, earning an "Come" from the familiar voice inside.

Stepping inside, Naruto immediately sees Lord Hokage sitting in his seat situated at the center of the table. He was surprised to see Iruka sitting two chairs to the Hokage's left. There was no sign of the two advisers and to no surprise at all, no sign of Kakashi either.

"Ah, Naruto. You're here right on time, I see. That just means we need to wait on Kakashi-sempai before we can begin" said Iruka, smiling at his former student.

"What a surprise. Bet that lazy bum is slaking of with that damn book of his somewhere" said Naruto, not hiding the irritation in his voice.

"Naruto, show some manners. That's no way to speak of your sensei" shouts Iruka.

"Some sensei. Seeing as we're here with out him, why don't you tell me why I was cursed with such a sloth like him as a sensei? Haven't I suffered enough in my life already, old man?" asked Naruto, his anger over this situation coming through in his voice easily.

"NARUTO" shouts Iruka, slamming both fist into the table as he stands. "You will show respect to both your sensei and especially to your Kage."

Naruto looks away, then turns back just enough to let one eye fall onto them before saying ""Why should I care? No one has ever really cared where I was concerned in the past."

"Naruto" says Iruka, not sure if he should be angry or hurt by that remark.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of the Leaf remained quiet during this exchange, silently puffing his pipe in his usual calm and serene way. But, hearing Naruto's words did cut into his heart. He had made a promise to the boys father about insuring his future and he had failed to keep that promise. And worse was rather than try to correct that failure, he only added to it. He thought making him a ninja would be a step in the right direction. But even that seemed to have more negatives than positives for the boy.

"Naruto" the Hokage said at last, bring both the boy and Iruka's attention upon him. "I know Kakashi seems a little...lax in his style, but I promise you he is one of the best and you are lucky to have him. I would have thought that your time with him in Wave would have proven that."

Naruto looked down, remembering that mission and all that had happened on it. "He did show he was good at being a ninja, but still...it seems he only takes his status seriously when he needs to. And when it comes to training me, his always seems to have better things to do."

"If you want, I will have a talk with him about it" said the Hokage, trying to quell his anger.

"Na, don't worry about it" said Naruto as he waved that idea off with his hand. "I'll find a way to deal, I always have after all. How about we just focus on the matter at hand. What's this new mission you have for us about?"

"Sorry Naruto, but we need to wait till Kakashi-sempai arrives" said Iruka as he sat back down.

"So, we're going to be here awhile" said Naruto as he went and sat down on a small stool by the wall.

After waiting another twenty minutes, the door opened as the eternally bored looking Kakashi entered the room. He looked around and saw Iruka and the Hokage give him their usual exasperated expressions while Naruto gave him a flat out evil eyed look.

Grinning beneath his mask and closing his one exposed eye in a happy manner, he reached up and scratched the back of his head and said "Sorry for the delay, but I had to help a little boy find his puppy."

"A likely story" spat out Naruto as he sat up and walked over to his sensei. "So, NOW can we get this briefing underway?"

The Hokage nods as he pulls out a scroll and hands it to Kakashi who opens it and starts reading it. He then clears his throat, then says "The mission I have for you is another C-ranked escort mission. And it entails..."

"Oh for the love of Kami, not another one" whines Naruto as he rolls his eyes at hearing this.

"Naruto, what did I say about this attitude of yours?" shouts Iruka again.

"But it's true. The last one you gave us saw us escorting some drunkard builder back to his home, only to find he lied about just how badly he needed help. And because of that, me and Kakashi-sensei were nearly killed" shouts Naruto back, unable to believe they would do this to them again.

The Hokage raises his hand to stop Naruto's rant before saying "I'm well aware of that fact, my boy. And I can assure you that this mission will not be like that one."

"Oh really, and how can you be sure of that?" asked Naruto skeptically.

"Because, our client this time is the Hyuga Clan from the northern mountains" said the Hokage.

"The who?" asked Naruto, genuinely confused by this.

Kakashi looked up from the scroll and said "The Hyuga Clan, huh? This is big. So, who are we escorting?"

"Hold on, who or what is this Hyuga Clan?" shouts Naruto, butting into the mission explanation.

"I'll tell you about them once we're on the go. So, you were going to say, Lord Hokage?" said Kakashi.

Naruto huffed, but nodded nevertheless as the Hokage continued. "The Hyuga Lord's eldest daughter. We are to take her from the home in Tamatsa and escort both her and her entourage to Rinoa Village in the Land of Amber, where her fiance lives. Assuming things go well, she will be remaining there to stay. After that and depending on the Hyuga escorts decision, you'll either return to their Lord with them or be freed to return home."

'The Lord's daughter? I wonder what she looks like?' thought Naruto.

"Lord Hokage, why are we being sent? Considering it's the Hyuga Lord's first born, wouldn't a team of Jonin ranked shinobi be sent, if not an Anbu detachment? It seems sending just one Jonin with a still wet behind the ears Genin is a little lax on our part" asked Kakashi.

"While you do speak the truth here, Kakashi. The money we were given for this mission does not cover anything higher than this. The Hyuga Lord must not be worried about there being any problems or does not care if any occur at all" said the Hokage.

"So, the rumor must be true about the young Lady Hyuga after all" said Kakashi.

"What rumor?" asked Naruto.

"Again, I'll tell you while we're en-route to Tamatsa. So, is there anything else?" asked Kakashi.

"No, that will be all. If there is anything else that you need to know, Lord Hyuga himself will tell you when you meet him" said the Hokage.

"Very well. Forest Shadow 7 member's Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto will leave at once and make haste to Tamatsa to complete this mission" said Kakashi as he bowed. Naruto also bowed, but not nearly as much as Kakashi did.

As they turn to leave, Iruka speaks up one final time and says "Naruto, one more thing before you leave."

Naruto stops and turns back, asking "What is it?"

"Naruto, just make sure you remember you will be in the presence of a powerful clan head during the meeting and his daughter for most of the mission. As a shinobi of Konoha, we all expect you to behave yourself and to not do anything that would give our village and the ninja who serve here a bad name" said Iruka.

"Yeah yeah, I know. I'll behave when I'm around those snobbish, self absorbed, mightier than thou, got bamboo up their asses, egoist that stick their noses up at everyone and everything they think and feel is beneath them" said Naruto in a matter of fact like manner.

"NARUTO, I'M SERIOUS HERE" roars Iruka as he jumps to his feet again, his face red with anger and a several veins popping out in his head.

"I know, I'll behave around them" said Naruto, waving him off as he left the room.

'Oh boy, this mission is gonna be as interesting as the last one' thinks Kakashi as he exits as well.

It wasn't long before Naruto and Kakashi were moving quickly through the tree as they made their way north to Tamatsa. As they moved, Naruto noticed Kakashi was back to reading his book again, yet was doing a great job of dodging tree branches while keeping his eye focused on the book before him.

"OK sensei, now that we're on our way, mind telling me about these Hyuga guys?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi ignored him, keeping to his book and continuing to dodge more branches, which made Naruto's anger rise quickly.

"HEY, I ASKED YOU A QUESTION" shouts Naruto.

"Hm? Oh Naruto, sorry about that. So, did you say something?" asked Kakashi as he turned to look at him.

"I asked you to tell me about the Hyuga" repeats Naruto, a more agitated tone present in his voice.

"Or right, I did say I would explain it. Alright, then were should I begin?" said Kakashi as he closed his book and placed a finger under his chin as he thought about the question.

"OK Naruto, as I'm sure you know, we are currently living in the southern region of Senai, located on the eastern most area of the continent. Now, the Senai region is home to four powerful clans; the Senju of the south, the Hyuga of the north, the Uchiha of the west, and the Uzu of the east" said Kakashi.

Seeing Naruto nod, he continues. "Now, of these four great clans, only the Hyuga still remain in any great numbers. The Uzu were wiped out several hundred years ago during the first great war between Senai, Fumala, and Keishu. The Senju, which most of the people in our village can claim family ties with, has been slowly dying off for a while now do to war and disease. And the Uchiha have been whittled down to just two known surviving members after they were betrayed by one of their own."

"Now, the Hyuga is a clan made up of powerful warrior's who are skilled at a fighting style they created called the Gentle Fist. Seeing as they don't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, they have mastered the art of chakra control to the point that this Gentle Fist style allows them to attack a person's internal organs with simple punches and kicks empowered with chakra." finished Kakashi.

"But, how do they know if they're doing any harm to an opponents internal system?" asked Naruto.

"From a young age, the men of the clan are made to study anatomy on the human body in great detail. The clan ranks their warriors based on how acknowledged they are on anatomy. However, it's only the men who are trained. Unlike our village, women are not allowed to be trained as they are just used for marriages to help build power for the clan" said Kakashi.

"So, I'm guessing my statement back home about them is accurate?" asked Naruto.

"The Hyuga are a vain and conceded group and we must be on our best behavior with them. Making enemies with them would not be in the villages best interest. Though they may be a clan, they see themselves more like royalty, so we need to treat them as such" said Kakashi.

"Fine, I get the message. I'll behave. So, what's this rumor thing about?" asked Naruto.

"Well, Lord Hyuga has two daughters and no son, thus forcing him to give the right of sucessorship to his deceased brother son. Normally, he would assign his first born daughter to marry him, but do to an abnormality she has had since birth, it has been decided his youngest will marry and his eldest is being sent away to marry another" said Kakashi.

"What's the abnormality?" asked Naruto.

"I'm not sure myself, but I here that it is seen as a birth defect to the clan and they wish her gone as soon as possible. It would explain the odd nature of this marriage seeing as she marrying a man who's family offer's little power gain for the Hyuga, according to what was written on the scroll. I guess the Hyuga see this girl as a black mark that they just can't wait to be rid of" said Kakashi.

Naruto lowers his gaze towards the ground, his eyes showing sadness as he thinks 'Just like me!'

As they continue on their way, Naruto makes a promise to himself. If this Hyuga girl is suffering inside as he is, if not even a greater suffering, then he will try to end that suffering just as Iruka had helped him with his, even though he didn't always show his appreciation over that fact.

_Next time: The Lord of the Hyuga and the Escort Mission begins..._


	2. 12 The Hyuga Clan

Just to get it out of the way, Hinata will be the only Hyuga in this story that has both her eyes and the Byakugan. All other Hyuga will have brown irises eyes with exposed pupils. Now, on with the show...

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.12: The Hyuga Clan**

Naruto and Kakashi stood outside the massive iron gates that guarded the entrance to Tamatsa. As Naruto looked along the large walls that acted as a defense for the city, he couldn't help but wonder why such defenses were needed. But before he could ask about it, Kakashi called out their arrival.

"Gate Guard of Tamatsa" shouts Kakashi loudly.

For a few seconds, there was no sign that he was heard. But then, a man dressed in bronze armor appeared in a window above the gate who looked down upon them. "State your business here" he shouts down.

"I am Hatake Kakashi of the Hidden Village of Konoha. Along with my student, Uzumaki Naruto, we have come at the request of the Hyuga Lord for an escort mission. Please allow us inside so we can continue our mission" shouts Kakashi up to the guard.

"Wait here while I confirm this" said the guard as he disappeared from sight.

As they waited, Naruto eyes noticed that men were standing guard at several other windows high up on the walls; each with a bow and arrow in hand and aimed at them, ready to fire upon them if need be. He looks at Kakashi who also noticed it and said "Don't do anything to provoke them. They take their duty as guards seriously and won't hesitate to kill us if provoked."

Naruto nods as he goes back to observing the landscape. Finally, the guard from before reappeared and said "You may enter. Just stick to the main path till it splits in two. Take the left path and you shall arrive at the Hyuga compound."

Nodding, Kakashi and Naruto watch as the massive iron doors slowly open just enough to let them in. As they pass through the village, Naruto whistles at how much different it was than Konoha. It was a larger in size, a much broader layout, and more stylized design for the buildings than anything had back home.

"Kakashi-sensei, tell me about Tamatsa" asked Naruto, wanting to explore this place.

"Curious, are you? I guess that's not surprising, seeing as the only villages you have been exposed to is our own village and Tazuna's village" said Kakashi.

After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Kakashi then said "Tamatsa is a wealthy mining town that is know for exporting iron, gold, and other valuable minerals. This had made it the target of many who would desire it's wealth, thus the massive gate and walls for defending the city."

Naruto took another quick look around, then asked "Is the village carved out of the mountain?"

"Good eyes there. Yes, the village has grown over time and what was originally a small mining outpost that was based along the southern side of Mt. Tama. When a valley was discovered that made easy access to the valuable minerals inside the mountain, the team spent five years working hard to cut through the mountain and opened the valley up, thus expanded the outpost into a village that has since grown in size, notoriety, money, and power" said Kakashi.

"And the Hyuga clan? How do they figure into this?" asked Naruto.

"The Hyuga were said to be originally from the kingdom of Chin-Xi. But they left for unknown reasons. Of course, they weren't a clan at the time. When Tamatsa was still a small village, a Hyuga found his way here and a deal was made. The Hyuga would live here and defend the village with their powerful fighters and in return, the Hyuga would be seen as the rulers of Tamatsa. The rest is history" said Kakashi.

Naruto had a feeling there was more to it than that, but he decided to not ask for details. At least not right now. As the split path came into sight, Naruto's eyes fell onto a large temple higher up the mountain to his right.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's that up there?" asked Naruto as he pointed up.

Kakashi stopped and looked up to were Naruto was pointing. "Well, that's a surprise. I didn't expect to see a Temple of Ama here; at least not anymore."

"Temple of Ama?" asked Naruto.

"Before Mt. Tama was discovered to be rich in both metals and minerals, it was home to the Order of Ama; which was a religious group made up of all women who worshiped Amarillo, Goddess of Light. When the miners and Hyuga came, the Order was forced off the mountain and had to relocate to the eastern sea; just a few miles south from were Tazuna's bridge was being built to connect Wave with Senai" said Kakashi.

They continued on their way again, though Naruto kept his eyes on the temple ruins as long as he could till they had to make the left turn. He really wanted to go up there and explore it, but he had a strong feeling that they were being watched.

After another ten minutes of walking, they came to a stop outside another set of gates. But, unlike the gray iron colored gates that guarded the entrance to Tamatsa, these gates were far more regal in their design. Pure silver with gold lions like beast carved into the twin gates.

"Boy, did I call it or what" said Naruto, thinking back on what his impression of the Hyuga had been..

"Let's wait till we get inside before that train of thought is allowed" said Kakashi. The Copy nin then steps forward and approaches a large gong next to the gate. Taking the small metal pole next to the gong in hand, Kakashi swings it hard into the gong, releasing the low dong sound from the impact.

Like with the main gate, a figure appeared along the wall. But, unlike the Tamatsa guard, the man they saw was dressed in battle robes and had a large halberd weapon in hand. He looks at them and gives them a look that lets them know he was waiting for them to speak.

"We're shinobi of Konoha, hired for the escort mission for Lord Hyuga's first born to deliver her to her future husband in Rinoa" said Kakashi.

The guard places his halberd against the wall, then claps his hands together twice quickly, which causes the main gate to open for them. Another Hyuga, this one dressed in more dignified robes steps out and says "We've been expecting you. Please follow me, I shall escort you to our lord."

Nodding, Kakashi and Naruto follow the man who makes a motion with his head that makes another Hyuga standing further down by the main building to nod as well before turning and disappearing into the building to alert their lord of the arrival of the escort.

Naruto couldn't believe the size of the grounds of the Hyuga compound. 'Man, I bet you could fit half the village in here alone. He noticed a large fountain and a small garden and several other interesting things before they arrived at the main building.

"This way, please" said the escort as he opened the sliding door into a large hall and proceeded to lead them down it. As they passed by several doors, the escort said "When in the presence of our lord, show respect and speak only when spoken to. Wait till he ask if you have any questions before asking about anything."

'Yep, I was right about them. Arrogant, stuck up snobs' thought Naruto.

After turning into a different hall, they came to a stop outside two wooden doors and waited there. "Hey, why did we stop?" asked Naruto.

The escort turned and looked at him, saying "We shall wait till confirmation of our lord's presence in the room. Entering before hand would be disrespectful to him."

Naruto sighed, but nodded as well as he stood there patiently. Well, as patiently as he was capable of doing, which wasn't much. After another fifteen minutes of waiting and Naruto was ready to complain about this, the door slid open slightly and a man came out.

"Lord Hiashi will see you now. Please enter and be seated on the mats provided" said the second Hyuga.

The two Hyuga open the door's and allow Naruto and Kakashi inside, then follow them and close the door's behind them before taking up position to either side of the room. Naruto and Kakashi made their way to the center of the room, kneeling down on the mats and awaiting their host arrival.

They didn't wait long as the curtains before them opened up, revealing three people sitting on cushions; looking at them. The figure in the center was obviously Hiashi; Lord of the Hyuga who was giving them a strong look, as if observing to see if they would do for this job.

Sitting to his right was a boy of fourteen who looked a lot like Hiashi, except his face was even colder; if not an outright scowl. He must have been the nephew who was gonna be the next Hyuga Lord. And to Hiashi's left was a young girl of seven with long brown hair who was looking at Naruto with curiosity in her eyes.

"I am Hiashi, Hyuga Lord and the one you summoned you here. State your names" said Hiashi in a matter of fact like way.

"Hatake Kakashi; Jonin of Konoha and son of Sakumo the White Fang" said Kakashi.

"Uzumaki Naruto; Genin of Konoha and student of Kakashi-sensei" said Naruto.

Hiashi nods, then looks to his right and says "My successor, Neji; son of my deceased younger brother, Hizashi." He then looks to his left and says "My youngest, Hanabi; future wife of Neji."

'So, these guys are into incest, huh? Creepy' thought Naruto.

"Care to say something?" asked Hiashi suddenly as he gave Naruto an icy glare with his cold brown eyes.

Naruto shakes his head, saying "No, Lord Hyuga." 'How did he know what I was thinking?' adds Naruto in thought.

Moving on, Hiashi says "We shall now speak on the mission. As you already know, you shall be escorting me eldest to the Land of Amber. Once there, you will proceed to Rinoa village where she will be delivered to her future husband. Any question's so far?"

Neither Naruto or Kakashi said a word, thus Hiashi continued. "The man you shall be delivering her to; Hoja Nakamuji, who will then give you the remaining payment for her. Then, I wish for you to return here as I have another request to make to you Hokage and thus, I wish for you to deliver it to him on our behalf."

"Understood" said Kakashi

"Seeing as it's getting late, you both shall be treated as guest and given both food and quarters to stay in. There is also a few more details that need to be worked out before you leave. I shall see you upon your return" said Hiashi. The curtain came back in, hiding the three Hyuga from the shinobi's eyes once again.

"If you will follow me" said their escort as he made for the wooden doors.

Naruto and Kakashi got up and followed after the man and after another five minutes of walking, found themselves coming outside and walking over a wooden path till they arrived at a door at the end of this side of the building. The escort opened the door, revealing two small beds inside.

"This will be your quarters for tonight. Through that room there is a bathroom for your own use. Also, we request you stay in here at all times unless called for. Dinner will be brought to you in two hours and breakfast will be brought at a quarter after seven. Do you have any request?" asked the escort.

"Nothing in particular. Surprise us" said Kakashi as he and Naruto walked in.

The escort nods as he closes the door behind them. Naruto walks over and feels his bed, relishing the thought that he would actually get to experience a REAL bed for once. After all, the bed he had back home was a simple wooden bed with no matrices and an old coat in place of a pillow.

Just then, a knock was heard before the door opened and another Hyuga man appeared. "Hatake-san?"

Kakashi turns and looks at him, asking "Yes?"

"My name is Ko. I am one of the two Hyuga Guard that will be joining the escort to Rinoa. Would you please come with me so we may discuss strategy."

"Of course" said Kakashi as he and Naruto started to move towards the door.

"Just you, Hatake-san. The boy need not attend" said Ko.

"What?" shouts Naruto.

"Lord Hyuga said it would be a waste of time to explain things like this to a mere child" said Ko.

Naruto found his anger rising till Kakashi turned to look at him and said "We are under his command till the mission is over, so we must respect his wishes. Once I return, I shall talk about the mission with you. Just wait here and relax. After all, it's not every day you get to sleep in a bed like this."

This calms Naruto down, just a little. He nods as he backs away and Kakashi turns and leaves with Ko. Alone in the room, Naruto's mind begins to wander as he thinks about all he's seen and the stuff he wished he could go see here on Tamatsa.

The sound of tapping against the door brings Naruto back into a sitting position. "Come in" said Naruto.

The door opens and a familiar form walks inside. Closing the door behind her, she looks at Naruto for a second and gives him a warm smile. "You said your name was Naruto, correct."

"Your that girl from before. Hanabi, right?" asked Naruto in return.

Hanabi nods before approaching Naruto and, to his surprise, sitting next to him. "I'm sorry for my father's harsh demeanor. All male member's of the Hyuga are raised to be like that and it didn't help that his wife, my and my older sister's mother, died quite suddenly several years ago."

"You don't need to apologize for that. It's not your fault. Besides, I'm use to being looked down upon" said Naruto.

"Thank you" said Hanabi.

For a few minutes, there was silence between them before Naruto asked "Are you OK with this?"

Hanabi looked up and asked "What do you mean, Lord Naruto?"

"Lord Naruto? Never been called that before" said Naruto, surprised and wide eyed at being referred to in such an honorable way.

"I'm just showing you the respect owed to you. That's how I was raised to act. So, what did you mean before?" asked Hanabi.

"Well, I was wondering if your OK with becoming Neji's wife? I mean, he's your cousin, right? I mean no disrespect to you or your clan, but isn't that incest?" asked Naruto.

Hanabi was quite for a moment, then said "I don't want to marry him. But I have no choice in the matter."

Naruto felt himself becoming angry and said in a loud voice "Of course you have a choice. You have rights too..."

"No, I don't. I guess you don't know this, but women born into clans have no choice or a voice in matters. We have only two purposes in life. To bear children and do as our lords command us to, no exceptions" said Hanabi.

"That's terrible. That's not fair to you or to others who have to live like that" said Naruto before placing a hand on Hanabi's shoulder and saying "I don't know how, but I promise I will save you from this."

Hanabi looked at him sadly and said "It's impossible. There's no way you..."

Naruto breaks in and says "Bull, anything is possible if one has the will to succeed. And I always stay true to what I say. No matter what, I will save you from this."

Hanabi looks at him in shock, but then smiles as a tear escapes her brown eyes as she says "Thank you, Lord Naruto, Hearing you save that makes me believe it could happen. But, I'd be happier if you could save my sister from her fate."

"I'll save the both of you" said Naruto confidently.

Hanabi gives him a warm smile as she stands up again. And then, the reaches into her silk robes and pulls out an envelope and hands it to Naruto. "What's this?" he asked as he took the letter.

"My final message to my sister. I would like you to deliver it to her if possible" said Hanabi.

"Sure, but can't you give it to her yourself?" asked Naruto as he placed the letter in his pack.

"I wish I could, but I'm not allowed to see her now nor will I be able to see her before she leaves, father's orders" said Hanabi.

"Then I shall make sure she gets it in route to Rinoa" said Naruto.

"It won't be easy as her guard will not let you get near her" said Hanabi.

"No problem. I'll find a way to get it to her, no worries" said Naruto in a confident tone.

"I better get going now. I'm suppose to be in my room now. If father learns I'm here, I'll be punished" said Hanabi as she starts to head towards the door. She stops and turns back, walking up to Naruto and says as she leans in "Lord Naruto, thank you" and places a gentle kiss to his cheek.

Naruto blushes and places a hand were he had been kissed as Hanabi moves away and heads towards the door. Just as Hanabi goes to reach out to open the door, Naruto ask "Lady Hanabi, when is your marriage to Neji suppose to happen?"

Hanabi looks back at him and says "In five years, once I'm twelve which is considered legal age for girls to be married by clan law."

"Then I have five years to find a way to save you" said Naruto.

"Like I said before, I'll be happy if you save my sister at least. But, I do hope we meet again someday, Lord Naruto" said Hanabi as she gave him one last smile. She then opened the door and exited the room, leaving Naruto alone again.

As Naruto laid back on the bed, his mind begins racing with thoughts as he tries to think of how he could save both Hanabi and her sister from their fates. And then it hits him, he still doesn't know the name of Hanabi's older sister. He'd have to change that soon.

(the next morning)

Naruto and Kakashi stood waiting just outside the Hyuga compound, waiting patiently for the rest of the escort to arrive. After another few moments of waiting, two guards wielding halberds emerged followed by four more Hyuga, each hoisting a carriage bar on their shoulders appeared from the gates.

"I take it Lady Hyuga is inside?" asked Kakashi.

"Indeed" said Ko as he walked up to them. "Did you inform your student of the formation we will be using?"

"Yes, you will take the front position while the other guard will assume the back position. I shall be to the left of the carriage and Naruto will be to the right" said Kakashi.

Nodding at that, Ko says "We shall assume this formation once we exit Tamatsa. Now, let's be on our way. The journey to Rinoa will take four days and we can't afford any delays." Ko then looks at Naruto and says "Also, no talking to Lady Hyuga or trying to peek in through her privacy screen. She needs time to mentally prepare herself for the meeting with her new lord."

"Understood" said Naruto, though he had other ideas than not seeing or talking to her.

And with this, the escort mission had truly began...

_next time: A ninja vs a Hyuga and the girl at the inn._

**N.O. Info:**

(Kakashi) "Hello, I am Hatake Kakashi. And I'm here to tell you about the world of Naruto Overdrive. Let's begin with talking about the system of the Hidden Villages."

"You see, unlike the Hidden Villages of the original Naruto series, the Hidden Villages of N.O. are literally hidden from the rest of the world. Using an advance form of genjutsu, it is possible to make an entire village disappear off the face of the earth; only locatable by those from the village that know were to look."

(Naruto) "But Kakashi-sensei, how do we get mission's if no one knows where our village is at?"

(Kakashi) "Good question, Naruto. You see, in the area's that depend on assistance from a hidden village can be found special way points were people can leave messages for us. On a daily basis, a ninja from our village checks these points and if a message has been left there, then that ninja will go meet the client and get the info about the request."

"The ninja will then send that message via falcon or another delivery trained animal back to the village to our Hokage who, after reading the details, will assign the appropriate ninja to go meet the client and undertake the mission. Any other question's?"

(Naruto) "Yeah, what happens if the village's location is discovered by an enemy?"

(Kakashi) Another good question. As you have likely noticed, Naruto. Our very own Konoha is a rather simple village. We have small homes and our population is about two hundred. Only a few buildings like HQ and the medical center are of any substantial size."

"Should we be discovered, we can use special sealing jutsu to contain the smaller buildings into scrolls while the larger building's are design to be broken down into smaller sections that can also be sealed into scrolls. From there, it's just a simple matter of sneaking everyone out and relocating to another spot and setting up shop again."

(Naruto) "Wow, now that's convenient."

(Kakashi) "Indeed it is. Next time, we'll talk about the most note worthy shinobi that serve in Konoha."

(Naruto) "Such as yours truly."


	3. 13 The Girl Beneath the Moon

**Naruto Overdrive**

**Chpt.13: The Girl Beneath the Moon**

Though the traveling was slower than normal for Naruto and Kakashi, who were use to moving quickly through the tree lines. But they had to admit, they were making much better progress than either had expected.

The four Hyuga supporting the carriage Hiashi's daughter was in were moving faster than they had expected and they were making good time indeed. At this rate, they would arrive in Shenlong Village by night fall, where they would make use of the local inn there.

As the group arrived on a level and cleared section of land, Ko raised his hand, causing everyone to come to a stop. He took a good look around, then turned back and looked at the fours carriers and said "Alright, we'll take a thirty minute rest break before continuing forward."

Nodding at that, the four carriers gently lowered the carriage down onto the ground, then took a seating position right next to it. Ko himself found a rock to sit on as did his counterpart located behind the carriage. Naruto also took a moment to rest, though he didn't really feel a need to yet.

"Hatake-san, will you perform a quick scan of the area before resting?" asked Ko.

"Understood" said Kakashi before disappearing from sight.

Naruto took a moment to take in his surroundings, then turned his attention to the carriage. Now would be a good time to give the letter to Hanabi's sister. But given what had happened back in Tamatsa when he had tried to deliver the letter, he doubted they would allow him to get close enough to even present it.

After about three minutes, Kakashi reappears and says "All clear."

Ko gives him a nod as Kakashi sits down by Naruto, pulls out a bottle of water and averts his gaze away from Naruto as he quickly pulls his mask down and drinks from the bottle. Once he had finished, he pulled his mask back on and placed the bottle of water away and then asked "I'm curious about why you need ninja for body guards? I doubt it's just to deal with the local road bandits."

"If bandits on the road were the only issue, then you would be correct. The fact of the matter is...we've had some unwanted attention being given towards us from the Kumo in the region of Shauti" said Ko.

Kakashi raises an eyebrow in surprise as he says "The Hidden Village of Kumo? May I ask for more details about it?"

"I'm afraid I am not allowed to speak on the matter. Only Lord Hiashi can answer such a question. However, I do believe his other request may have something to do with Kumo or at least the Shauti region" said Ko.

Kakashi remains quiet as he ponders this new discovery. Had Kumo actually sent their ninja into the Senai with out Konoha knowing of it? Had they tried something in Tamatsa? Had they tried something against the Hyuga? These were definitely things lord Hokage would want to know about.

Setting those thoughts aside for now, Kakashi looks at Naruto and sees him fumbling with a letter in his hand and an intent look on his face; leading him to ask "Is something bothering you, Naruto?"

Naruto jumps at hearing that, showing just how lost in thought he actually was. Looking at Kakashi and then at the other Hyuga and then back at Kakashi again while leaning in, says "You could say that."

Understanding why Naruto had moved closer, Kakashi follows suit and asked "What is it?"

"Well, when you left for that mission meeting with that Ko guy, lady Hanabi came by and we had a talk. She asked me to deliver this letter to her sister for her as she wasn't allowed to say goodbye. But, given they won't let me get close enough to give it to her..." whispered Naruto.

Understanding, Kakashi extends his hand and says "Give it to me. I'll handle this."

Naruto hands the letter to Kakashi who gets up and moves forward towards the carriage. Seeing this, Ko also gets up and intercepts Kakashi just as he gets up to the carriage. "May I ask what you are doing?" asked Ko, his voice slightly lower than normal.

"On behalf of Lady Hanabi, we were charged with delivering this message to her elder sister" said Kakashi as he held the letter out before him.

Ko looks at it, then at Kakashi as he takes the letter and ask "Did lady Hanabi make this request in person?"

Kakashi had a feeling that confirming this could be a bad thing for the younger heiress, so he said "No, she had one of her attendants make the delivery to us along with her wishes."

Ko looks at him for a moment, then says "Very well." And then, he grips the letter with both hands and rips it in half again and again till nothing is left but tiny pieces that he then releases into the blowing wind.

"Hey, why the hell did you do that for?" shouts Naruto as he jumps to his feet.

Ko looks at him and says in a low, dangerous tone "None of your business."

Something snapped inside Naruto at hearing that as he charged forward, planning on attacking Ko for that. Kakashi steps in between them, saying "Naruto, enough of this. What have I told you about controlling your emotions?"

"Give me one good reason why I should after what he just did?" shouts Naruto.

Ko frowns as he says "It would seem your student is still in need of some serious training."

Kakashi looks back and says "Forgive him, he's still young and his past has been hard on him."

"And what would you know about MY training? Maybe I should show you what my training so far has taught me" shouts Naruto.

"Naruto" says Kakashi, a little harder than normal.

Ko looks at Naruto for a few more moments, then says "Hatake-san, let hm pass." Naruto stops as both he, Kakashi, and the other Hyuga look at Ko in surprise. "If this boy is so confident about his training, then let him come at me."

Kakashi hesitates for a second, then sighs as he steps away. Naruto grins as he cracks his knuckles while looking at Ko. They both take a few steps away from the carriage and start circling one another as Naruto says "I hope you're ready to get that Hyuga arrogance shoved down your throat."

"Little boy, I think it's time to show you just how out of league you are against an opponent of my caliber" said Ko as he brings his halberd up and ready for battle.

As the two eye each other up, no one notices as the privacy screen shifts just enough for the young girl inside the carriage to peek out and observe this fight.

"Here I come" shouts Naruto as he pulls out a kunai with each hand and charges at Ko.

Naruto leaps into the air and tries to deliver a kick to Ko's head, but his attack is blocked as Ko brings his halberd up, deflecting and pushing Naruto back. As Naruto lands on his feet, he grins as he pushes forward again and sends both kunai smacking against the blade on the halberd.

"Is that all?" asked Ko as he started pushing Naruto back again.

"Wanna bet? Shadow Clone's" shouts Naruto as his shadow suddenly shifts into a circular pattern around him. From the field of shadow, 10 three dimensional shadows began to rise up, shaping and solidifying into exact copies of Naruto.

'So, he can activate it with out hand signs now' thinks Kakashi, impressed with this revelation.

Ko pushes the real Naruto off and goes onto the defensive as he blocks the attacks from the clones. For a moment, it looked like Ko was actually going to lose as the real Naruto saw his clones having subdued Ko and moves in to finish him off.

"This really is your actual limit, isn't it?" asked Ko.

"Who cares if it is or not. All that matters is that I'm winning" replied Naruto as he leaps up and readies a final kick to Ko's face.

"Disappointing, and here I thought you may give me a little challenge" said Ko as his features suddenly change, become colder and more focused as he suddenly breaks free of the ten clones and, with astonishing power and speed, takes all ten out with a single swing of his halberd.

"What?" shouts Naruto is surprise as Ko turns to look at him and, with blinding speed, sends his halberd rushing at Naruto.

Naruto brings his kunai up to block the attack, but finds them being shattered from the force of the hit. The halberd's blade nicks him along his left arm, sending Naruto flying back and hitting the ground hard. As he gets back to his feet, Ko rushes in fast and pierces his left shoulder fast and slams both it an Naruto back into a tree, causing Naruto to cry out in pain.

Ko comes in and quickly presses his fingers against Naruto's arms and legs, causing his limbs to go completely numb. Then, as he goes to strike at Naruto chest, Kakashi grabs Ko's arm, stopping him from continuing as he says "I think you made your point, Hyuga."

Ko looks at him, then back at Naruto as he pulls his halberd out from the tree and Naruto's shoulder, causing him to collapse to the ground, and says "Never forget this loss, boy. You are nowhere near being a equal to a Hyuga" while looking at Naruto. He then turns and walks away.

Naruto just sits there, wide eyed with awe and even a little fears as Kakashi examines his wound. He then leans in close and says "You're lucky you have the healing power that comes from the demonic energy sealed inside you. With out it, you wouldn't be continuing this mission with this injury."

"That guy...he's unreal" said Naruto.

"That's a Hyuga for you. Now you can better understand and appreciate higher tier fighters" said Kakashi.

"I can feel the wound healing, but...why are my arms and legs numb?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi looks back at Ko and says "Shouldn't you undo the paralysis technique you used on him?"

Ko looks back and says "It'll wear off in about an hour or so."

Looking back at Naruto, Kakashi says "Just rest for now as we still have several hours to go before we arrive in Shenlong. Also, you better hold onto this too." Kakashi then pulls the letter from his pocket and hands it to a surprised Naruto.

"How...?" asked Naruto.

"Well, am I a Jonin or am I not? I substituted a fake one for the real thing before talking with Ko" asked Kakashi as he smiled beneath his mask.

Naruto takes the letter and hides it beneath his vest, then says "But, I didn't see you make the switch."

"Neither did he" winks Kakashi.

Naruto sighs in relief, knowing he still had a chance to give this letter to Hanabi's sister. Now he just had to figure out the how part.

It wasn't long before they were back on the road, continuing on to Shenlong. Though Ko felt Naruto should be sent back home, Kakashi informed him that though the Hyuga were the ones in charge here, they still didn't have any authority to tell him how to deal with his student.

The arrival in Shenlong finally happened by the time the sun had set in the horizon. They quickly found a modest sized inn and acquire some rooms for the night. Kakashi and Naruto were given one room, the six Hyuga were given three rooms and Lady Hinata was given her own private room.

It was late into the night, well past midnight when Naruto awoke from the dream. In the dream, who would be flying high above the clouds, moving at incredible speeds. His body was surrounded in a flame like chakra and his face wasn't his face, but that face of a fox.

As he sat up, he found breathing a little hard and had the sensation that the room was slowly collapsing in on him, suffocating him. Realizing he needed some air, Naruto got up and left to room. He made he way down stairs, making sure to remain quiet so as to avoid waking anyone. Once on the ground floor, he walked over to the door that led out into the inn's garden and walked outside.

Naruto took a moment to to breath in the fragrance of flowers. He then looked up and smiled at the sight of the full moon that hanged in the night sky. He didn't know why, but being bathed in moonlight just made him feel comforted for some reason; more at peace than normal.

And that's when he heard a voice. Stepping forward around a wall of bamboo, Naruto's eyes fell onto a girl sitting in a kneeling fashion beside a small pond, a finger slowly tracing around the water that had several lily floating in it.

The girl was singing quietly to herself and Naruto couldn't help but stand there and listen to her. Her voice was soft and tender, sweet and gentle in its sound. It made Naruto feel a warmth inside he had never felt before. He decided he wanted to get a closer work and thus, began to move forward.

And in doing so, he failed to notice a rather round rock his foot was in the process of stepping on. And when he did step on it, the rock rolled and sent Naruto falling back with a loud "Whoa" coming from his mouth. He lands on his back hard and groans from the discomfort he was now feeling.

As he thought about how big an idiot he was for falling and wondering if he had scared the girl off or not, he failed to notice a shadow fall over him or the form of the girl standing by him and looking down at him a second later. He never took notice until she spoke up.

"Um...are you OK?" asked the girl.

Naruto's eyes shoot open, looking up at her and finding himself blushing at the sight before him. He could see her face now and he couldn't deny that she was beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever seen before. And seeing the moon resting in the sky behind her made her even more beautiful.

The girl had pale, ivory colored skin, dark blue/black colored hair that reached down to the small of her back and was partially hanging off her down towards him. And then he saw her eyes. A pang of guilt passed through him at seeing her lavender colored eyes. Since he couldn't see any pupils there, he made the assumption that she was blind.

Then his mind registered her question, leading him to say "Yeah, I'm OK. I'm lucky I have such a hard head...wait, I think I just insulted myself."

The girls giggles at that as he sits up. He looked her over as he got back to his feet and felt her rather simple purple colored yukata with sun flowers patterned on it looked really good on her. Naruto smiles and says "Heh heh, sorry for surprising you like that. My name is Naruto; Naruto Uzumaki."

"That's OK. It's nice to meet you Naruto, my name is Hyu...um, Hinata. My name is Hinata" said the girl as she bowed before him.

_Next time: A talk under the moonlight and the arrival at Rinoa_

**N.O. Info**

(Iruka) Hello, my name is Umino Iruka and I'll be talking to you all in this segment of N.O Info. Today, we'll be talking about the most notable ninja to serve in Konoha. So, let's begin with our highest ranking member; the Hokage himself.

(Iruka) Our Hokage is the the leader of Konoha and is the third to hold that title. His actual name is Hiruzen Sarutobi and he has been the Hokage for the last 43 years. He has been given the nickname "Professor" and is said to have master over a thousand jutsu.

(Naruto) But as old as he is now, I bet he can't even do ten of those with out needing rest.

(Iruka) That's still more jutsu than what you know. Anyways, there has been a growing concern over the fact lord Hokage has yet to choose a successor to become the 4th Hokage yet and fear he may have become to obsessed with the position and blind to his advanced age to do what is necessary. Only time will tell if the concerns of the population of Konoha is either well founded or a mistake.

(Naruto) The old man's just stubborn.

(Iruka) That's the pot calling the kettle black. Moving on, we shall now talk about the Jonin of this village. There are currently 35 shinobi of Jonin rank and 12 who are of Anbu status. But, seeing as we don't have time to talk about all of them, we'll focus on just the three most critical names that need mentioning.

(Naruto) Boring, Let's just jump to the Genin. That's what the people want to hear about anyways.

(Iruka) Naruto, please be quiet. Anyways, the first one we'll be talking about is Kakashi Hatake; the Copy Ninja of Konoha. As the son of the Legendary Anbu Captain; Sakumo the White Fang, Kakashi has both the skill and pedigree to go far in the ranks of the village. In fact, many think he's best qualified to become the 4th Hokage.

(Naruto) To bad he's always late and keeps his nose in those damn hentai books of his.

(Iruka) Naruto, please be quiet. Anyways, he is said to have master hundreds of jutsu. And it's all think to a mysterious power call the Sharingan which is actually in his left eye. Details about it are sketchy at best, so we can't go into how he obtained it. But it's because of this Sharingan that he's known as Copy Ninja because his special eye can copy any jutsu he sees needing hand signs to activate.

(Iruka) Finally. Kakashi does have one original jutsu that he himself created. Known as the Lightning Blade, it's lightning elemental chakra channeled into his finger tips that he can stab into his opponents bodies while moving at incredible speeds. It is a C ranked assassin's move that has never failed him.

(Naruto) Boy, I can't wait till he teaches it to me. Along with anything else besides how to climb up trees.

(Iruka) Moving on, we now look at Asuma Sarutobi. As the eldest son of our Hokage, Asuma has had some mighty big shoes to fill. Known as the Blade Giant of Konoha, Asuma stands taller than most, yet is still fast and incredibly strong. He wields two special dagger like weapons into battle that can channel his chakra into them, making them even more deadly than normal.

(Iruka) When he was younger, Asuma had an argument with his father that led to him leaving the village. Details about the argument are unknown, but the end result was Asuma becoming a member of the 12 Guard that served under the Feudal Lord who rules our country. After ten years of doing this, something happened that brought Asuma back and rejoining the village again.

(Naruto) I would like to learn more about this. Maybe I'll go talk with Asuma-sensei when this is over.

(Iruka) On our final Jonin ranked shinobi in this talk is Kurenai Yuhi, one of the most skilled Kunoichi we have ever had. Known as the Mistress of Illusion, Kurenai has used her incredible talent as a genjutsu mater to make her mission much easier than is the norm for most kunoichi, considering what the usual style of mission's for them are.

(Naruto) I've been meaning to ask about that, Iruka-sensei. What kind of mission's do kunoichi get that guys don't get?

(Iruka) Um...I'll tell you when you're older, Naruto. Now, will talk quickly about Chunin ranked ninja. There are currently 15 shinobi in our village of Chunin rank, including yours truly. Most of us are charged with teaching at the academy, handling the beginning training of the next generation of ninja.

(Naruto) I think you need to hurry. Mr. Poe is pointing to his watch.

(Iruka) OK, the last group we'll talk about is some notable Genin in our village. First is Shikamaru Nara of the Nara clan. The Nara are masters of shadow manipulation and can control their opponents via their shadows. With Shikamaru, the boy has an IQ that is over 180, yet he suffers from a case of chronic laziness which keeps him from putting much effort into anything. Shikamaru is being trained by Asuma.

(Iruka) Next is Ino Yaminaka, who's family is known for being master's of mind control. They can even possess their opponents body and gather Intel that way. In many ways, Ino may be capable of gather Intel with out doing the dirty work kunoichi usually hate to do, much like Kurenai; which is why Kurenai has been made Ino's sensei.

(Iruka) Well, that's all the most notable ninja in our village. On the next installment, we'll...

(Naruto) Um...Iruka-senei, aren't you forgetting about somebody?

(Iruka) Huh, what do you mean Naruto? Oh wait, you're right. There is one more note worthy person. My last special mention is...Sarutobi Konohamaru, grandson of the Hokage and nephew of Asuma. He is said to have great potential and will one day be Hokage with out any doubt. He is currently being given special training under the guidance of Ebisu, a special class Jonin who is also the head teacher at the academy.

(Naruto) HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME HERE?

(Iruka) What about you, Naruto?

(Naruto) You've got to be kidding me? Why didn't you talk about me? Naruto Uzumaki, rising star of Konoha that will one day be Hokage. I helped exposed that traitor Mizuki for who he really was. Heck, I played I big role in saving the Land of Wave from that tyrannical land baron; Gato.

(Iruka) That is true, but remember that this segment was about the NOTEABLE shinobi in our village. And I'm sorry to say that you just don't qualify for that yet.

(Naruto) You've got to be kidding me...

(Iruka) Anyways, next time will have us talking about our country and the five regions that make it up. Till next time, keep on reading and wanting more.

(Naruto) How can they treat the star of the series like this. I hate this writer...


	4. 14 The Hyuga Lords Daughter

AN: I admit I made a booboo in the last chapter with Iruka's last name. It is Umino and not Morino, as was pointed out to me. Guess it can't be helped though when you never hear his last name even being mentioned in the story (very much). I have gone back and corrected the oversight. And if anyone notices any other name mistakes, let me know since if it happened once, it could happen again.

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.14: The Hyuga Lords Daughter**

"Heh heh, sorry for surprising you like that. My name is Naruto; Naruto Uzumaki."

"That's OK. It's nice to meet you Naruto, my name is Hyu...um, Hinata. My name is Hinata" said the girl as she bowed before him.

"It's nice to meet you, Hinata. Do you work here by any chance?" asked Naruto out of curiosity.

Hinata shakes her head and says "No, I...I'm just passing through the area with a few others. I woke up and decided to come outside and get some fresh air."

"And to look up into the starlit sky too I bet" said Naruto, then realized his error as he said "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I should watch what I say huh?"

Hinata turned to look at him and asked "What do you mean?"

"Well, I noticed it earlier and I...I'm sorry. I forgot that you must be blind" blurts out Naruto, angry with himself for being such a forgetful idiot.

"I'm...blind?" says Hinata, confused by his comment. But, she then breaks into a soft laugh that catch's Naruto off guard.

"Um...did I do something funny just now?" asked Naruto.

After another moment of laughing, Hinata is finally able to calm herself, then looks at Naruto and says "Lord Naruto, I'm not blind."

Naruto blinks in surprise as he says "You're not? Seriously?" Hinata shakes her head, then gives him a warm smile that makes Naruto sigh in relief.

"Oh...Heheh, then I'm sorry again for that whole blind thing then. It's just, when I saw your eyes and couldn't see any pupils, I just assumed..." said Naruto.

Hinata holds her hand up and says "No, it's alright. Being thought of as blind isn't so bad as far as introductions go. I've had worse things said about my eyes. And I guess they are pretty weird to look at, huh?"

Hinata looks away, suddenly feeling self concious about her eyes. But she feels Naruto place and hand on her shoulder and presses a finger to her chin and turns her back to look at him, making her blush as her eyes fall onto his cobalt blue eyes.

"There's nothing strange at all about your eyes. I will admit, my first thoughts were that you were blind, but that's been proven wrong. But that's no reason to try to hide your eyes from me. Personally, I think they're very pretty" said Naruto.

"You're just saying that to be nice. You really don't have..." Hinata starts to say, but Naruto places a finger on her lips to silence her.

"I'm not just saying that to be nice, but also because it's the truth. I mean it" Naruto said in ernist.

"Really?" asked Hinata as she stared into his eyes and couldn't see any trace of deception in them. "But why do you think my eyes are pretty? I mean, my eyes are totally different from anyone else's."

Naruto gives her an encouraging smile as he says "It's because they are different that makes your eyes so pretty. I'm not sure quite how to describe it, but looking into your eyes reminds me of two pearls and a perfect moon, unblemished by craters and other such things."

"You really mean that?" asked Hinata, earning a nod from Naruto. She then blushes as she says "Thank you. No one has ever said that about my eyes before."

"It just shows how idiotic some people are. Say Hinata, do you want to sit with me for a while?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I should be getting back to my room seeing as I have a long road ahead of me tomorrow, but sure. I would like to sit with you, Lord Naruto" said Hinata.

Naruto plops himself down onto the ground, sitting Indian style while Hinata sits next to him, her legs folded beneath her. They both look up into the moon and start filled sky and allow their minds to wander amidst the infinite possibilities that lay out there.

"The full moon tonight is really lovely" said Hinata,

"Yeah, I like nights like this one. I don't know why, but these kinds of nights make me feel peaceful and serene inside. Weird huh?" asked Naruto.

Hinata shakes her head and says "No, it's not weird at all. I...I think I feel the same way."

For the next few moments, there is silence between them, till Naruto reaches into his vest and pulls out a small four pointed star locket and holds it up into the sky.

"Naruto, what is that?" asked Hinata.

Instead of Naruto replying, he opens the locket up and , to Hinata's surprise and amazement, a soft and beautiful melody can be heard coming from the locket as an image of a crystal tower appears to grow from the crystal at the center of the locket.

"I'm really not sure of the full story. But I was told it belonged to my mother and my father asked it be given to me when I turned seven. I'm not sure what this melody is let alone the meaning of this tower, but I feel that these may be clues as to who I am" said Naruto.

"Who you are? Are you saying you have amnesia?" asked Hinata.

Naruto shakes his head and says "No, I don't have amnesia. I, well, I guess I can tell you. You see, Hinata, I was raised in the Hidden Village of Konoha, but I was not born there. Me and my parents were outsiders from a distant land, or so I've been told my our Hokage, though he doesn't know much either."

"Seeing as I am an outsider, I was suppose to be kicked out of the village on my twelfth birthday. But seeing as I became a ninja at the behest of the Hokage, I could remain living in Konoha for as long as I wanted to. And I plan on living there for the rest of my life, unless I discover any clues about where my parents came from. If I do find any, then I'm going to go see if I have any relatives out there" finished Naruto.

Hinata looks down sadly and says "It must be hard, being alone like that. Not knowing your family or having the love of a family in your life."

"You're more correct than you may know" said Naruto.

"I don't understand" replied Hinata.

"Well, let's just say outsiders in ninja villages are frowned upon by those who have familial ties to said village. For me, growing up hasn't been all fun and games. But still, its been that life that has led me here, so I can't complain" said Naruto, looking at her with an encouraging smile.

"I see. I glad for you, Naruto" said Hinata.

"Truth be told, it's the Hyuga girl me and my sensei are escorting I feel really sorry for" said Naruto, not noticing Hinata tense up when he said that.

"What do you mean, Naruto?" asked Hinata, feeling nervous now.

"Well, me and my sensei Kakashi, have been sent on this mission to escort the daughter of the Hyuga clan from Tamatsa along with her personal escort to Rinoa in the Land of Amber so she can be married off. But, I feel she should have a say in the matter. I mean, does she even know this guy? Does she even want to marry him? Hell, does she even want to get married at this point in her life? I just don't think it's fair that she doesn't get a choice about her life just because she came from a clan" said Naruto.

"That's how it is sometimes. Not everyone can be free to make their own choices. Some people have to live a life being slaves to the forces that won't allow free thought or independence" said Hinata sadly.

"Yeah, I know that. But, it still sucks. And that's why I'm gonna find a way to save her and her little sister from their fates...somehow" said Naruto as he stood up.

Hinata does as well and says "I believe you can do it. But, just remember that some things can't be changed, no matter what. Some people can't escape the life fate has given them."

"I don't buy that one bit. Fate isn't something that's predetermined, it's something we make for ourselves. I make this promise now under the full moon, I will save them both and I will never be shackled down by any fate I don't want to follow" declared Naruto.

Hinata looks at him in awe, then giggles before saying "I have a feeling you may be right. And that's why I'll believe in you, Naruto. Well, I better get back to my room. It's past late and I'll need my sleep for my journey in the morning. Good night, Naruto."

"Yeah, good night Hinata. I hope we can meet again someday" said Naruto as he begins walking back to the inn.

'I know we will' thinks Hinata, smiling as she watches him go. It's then her eyes fall onto an object laying on the ground. Adjusting her gaze to better see it, she notices that the object is a small envelope laying next to where Naruto had been sitting.

'Did it fall out of Naruto's vest when he pulled that locket out?' wondered Hinata as she bent down and picked it up. Right away, she realized what it was and was about to open it when she heard Naruto speak up, making her quickly hide it behind her.

"Say Hinata, have you ever heard of "The Silhouette of the Moon" by any chance?" asked Naruto.

Hinata thinks for a moment, then says "I can't recall ever hearing of it before. Sorry, Lord Naruto."

"That's OK, I didn't think you would have" said Naruto as he steps inside the inn, then looks back one final time and says "Oh, you don't have to call me "Lord Naruto", ya know. Just Naruto is fine" said Naruto before disappearing into the inn.

Hinata just stands there for a moment, then smiles as she herself heads towards the inn. 'I'm glad I was able to talk to you at least once on this trip, Naruto.'

The next morning, Naruto awoke to the sound of foot steps in the room. Opening his eyes and sitting up, Naruto saw Kakashi walking towards the door, already fully dressed.

"Hey sensei, what's up?" asked Naruto.

"So, you did wake up on time after all. I was expecting to have to drag you out of bed after you went for that walk last night" said Kakashi.

"What? You were awake?" said Naruto. He had thought he had been quiet, but it seems that he still needed work on sneaking around.

"A good ninja never sleeps so soundly while on a mission that they aren't still aware of what's happening around them. Don't worry about it though. You'll learn how to do it in time" said Kakashi.

"If you say so" said Naruto as he got out of bed and started looking for his clothes.

"While your getting dressed, I'll go talk with Ko and find out what are next stop destination for today is" said Kakashi. When Naruto gave him an affirming nod, Kakashi exits the room.

'Well, here's to another day of long walks and trying to give that letter to...hey, I have an idea. If Kakashi-sensei is meeting with Ko and assuming the meeting is in the escorts bedroom, then maybe I can give Hanabi's sister that letter' thinks Naruto as he grabs his vest and starts digging inside of it.

There was only one problem. The letter wasn't in any of his vest pockets. 'OK, maybe I placed it inside my pack last night' thinks Naruto as he places his vest down and grabs his back pack and starts rummaging through it. This quickly turns to him turning it up side down, dumping everything onto his bed.

"It's not here. OH CRAP, IT'S NOT HERE!" shouts Naruto as his eyes dart over the items laying on his bed, seeing no sign of the envelope. He quickly dashes around the room, looking under and around each and every object, still finding nothing.

"Aw damn it. Now where in the hell could it...wait, I know" he says as he quickly puts some pants on and rushes down stairs and outside into the inn's back garden. He remembered that last night, he had both fell back on his butt and maybe it had fallen out of his vest when that happened.

He looked all over the place, not finding any sign of it. He finally slumped down in defeat, realizing he had lost the letter. And this time, there was no Kakashi here to pull the old switch around for his sake.

'How could I have been so careless? I promised Hanabi that I would get it to her sister somehow, and now...' thinks Naruto, cursing himself for this latest blunder.

A thought crosses his mind. Did that girl Hinata find it? Naw, that couldn't be the case. If she had, she would have ran after him and gave it back. There was only one other conclusion and that was that it must have fallen from his vest before they arrived in Shenlong and he simply didn't notice it missing till now.

Feeling depressed, Naruto decides to return to his room and finish getting ready to leave, seeing as there wasn't anything he could do now. As he made his way up the stairs, he begins to think back on last night and his talk with Hinata.

'I wonder...why did I talk about all that stuff with her? I've never been so open with anyone before. Not even Iruka-sensei' thought Naruto. But maybe the answer was simple. Maybe he knew deep inside that he could trust her and that's what allowed him to be so open. Or maybe not, who knows?

(three days later)

The group had passed the border the separated Senai and Fumala and had finally arrived at the main gate of Rinoa. As they came to a stop, a figure wearing light leather armor appeared from a small building by the gate and said "Strangers, for what purpose has brought you to us today?"

Ko steps forward and says "We are representatives of the Hyuga clan of Tamatsa. And we have come to deliver our Lords first born to the house of Nakamuji so she may meet her future lord and husband."

"Ah yes, we've been expecting you. Please follow me" said the guard as he turned and made a motion with his hands. The massive wooden doors slide open, revealing a bustling set of streets with many people running around on their daily task.

As they move through the village, Kakashi uses the telepathy jutsu to mind speak with Naruto. "Before we get inside, there's something I want to tell you" said Kakashi through the mind link.

Naruto looks in his direction and thinks "What is it?"

"I want you to promise me that no matter what happens in there, you will stay seated and keep quiet" replied Kakashi.

"Why? What's going to happen?" asked Naruto.

"It's difficult to say for sure. But, there are certain...things done by lords when they are being presented with their new wife. It may not be an easy sight to see. But never the less, I need you to promise me you will stay put and quiet. If not for me, then do it for her. If we speak up, the lord may punish the girl as a way of making a statement to you about knowing your place" says Kakashi.

Naruto didn't like how this sounded, but he sighs none the less and says "Alright, I promise."

It wasn't long before they had arrived at the home of the Nakamuji, a rather impressive sized mansion that denoted the mark of one of the nobility of the region. Naruto, Kakashi, and Ko were escorted to the meeting room to meet Hoja will the heiress was taken to another room by the servants to finish preparing herself to meet her husband.

Once in the room, the three Senaians enter into a kneeling position as a man says "And now presenting our current family head; Nakamuji Hoja."

A door from before them opens and a man dressed green velvet enters the room. He is rather tall for his age and a little on the chubby side, but he was also rather muscular too. His short black hair and neatly trimmed beard only added to the intense look he was giving them.

"Your names?" he simply asked.

"My name is Ko, sir. I'm a high ranking Guard within the Hyuga clan, given the mission to escort your wife here to you" said Ko.

"Hatake Kakashi, shinobi of Konoha."

"Uzumaki Naruto, student of Kakashi."

Hoja nods and bids them to take a seat off to the side. Just as they finish sitting again, the man off to the side gets a whisper from another man who had just stepped in. When the whispering was done, the announcer then says "Now presenting, our lord's new wife; the Lady Hyuga Hinata."

'HINATA?' thinks Naruto as his eyes go wide and his head turns to the opening door.

Several servants enter the room, followed by a girl wearing a beautiful purple colored kimono and hair ornaments that give off tinging sounds with every step taken. Naruto couldn't take his eyes off her. How come he hadn't even guessed it? After what she had said to him that night?

Hinata, the girl from the inn in Shenlong was also the heiress they had been escorting.

_Next time: Sneaking in, an unexpected event..._

**N.O. Info**

(Ebisu) Greetings, my name is Ebisu; a special Jonin here within the village of Konoha. I cater to giving special training to only the best and brightest of the young shinobi hopefuls here. And today, we'll be taking a good look at the five regions and the ninja villages hidden within their borders.

(Ebisu) We'll start by talking about the continent itself. In our world, there are eight actual continents that cover the surface along with hundreds of islands. Our continent, Shumoa, is ranked fifth out of the eight due to it's overall size and population.

(Konohamaru) You serious? That stinks. And here I was hoping we'd be no.1.

(Ebisu) It can't be helped, seeing as Shumoa isn't all that big and is located in the eastern zone, northern hemisphere of the world. And there is a distance of 57 miles that separates us from the biggest of the eight continents. That one of course being Antana, which is home many powers; including the Chin-Xi Kingdom.

(Konohamaru) Who are the Chin-Xi?

(Ebisu) Aw, a good question that shall be answered another time. Now, let's talk about the regions of Shumoa. First is our own home region; Senai, which is located along the eastern section of Shumoa. And the island nation of Wave connects with us via a bridge that's currently being built.

(Ebisu) Next, we'll be covering Fumala; the land of winds which is in the south of Senai. Unlike Senai which is covered in lush forest, Fumala is 80% desert territory. Only a couple of area's along the edge of its land has any kind of greenery; such as the Land of Amber. Fumala is also the location of the Hidden Village of Suna (Sand).

(Konohamaru) Sounds like a really hot place to visit:)

(Ebisu) Such a sad joke, even from you. Next, we'll look at Keishu which is in the western section of Shumoa. Dusty and riddled with canyons and lots of level land, Keishu is a place where many battles against foreign forces are usually enacted. It is also the home of the Iwa Hidden Village (Stone).

(Konohamaru) Hey, is that the Grand Canyon?

(Ebisu) Please quit talking right now. Next, we'll head to the north eastern region of Shumoa and look upon Duno. This land is covered in many lakes and rivers and is key in many of the trades our country deals in with foreign lands. Duno is also the home of the Kiri Hidden Village (Mist).

(Konohamaru) Hmm, I think I'm going to go for a swim.

(Ebisu) And now we look to the north, into the land of Shauti. In this region, we find nothing but mountains covering the whole region. This area is also the closest Shumoa comes to Antana. The Hidden Village of Kumo (Cloud) is located somewhere in this treacherous territory.

(Konohamaru) I can't help myself. Hodlelayhehoo.

(Ebisu) Before we depart, I'll make one more honorable mention here. At the center of Shumoa is the capital region of Jezai. In this small, circular region, we find the capitol city of Ame. Ame is where the leader of Shumoa resides; the Grand Daimyo.

(Konohamrau) OK, now I'm confused about all this.

(Ebisu) Not to worry. In the next N.O. segment, we'll be taking a look at the history of Shumoa and reveal everything you will need to know about the current state of affairs.

(Konohamaru) Till next time, keep reading...


	5. 15 The Boy's Choice

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chapter.15: The Boy's Choice**

Hinata came to a stop in the middle of the room as she had been instructed to do. Though she was to keep her gaze on her future lord and husband, she couldn't help but take an ever so quick glance over at Naruto, seeing his reaction at now knowing who it was that they had been escorting this entire time.

She felt bad about having not told him the truth back in Shenlong, but she had wanted to have an actual conversation with him, with out the need of her status getting in the way. But still, she did regret having not been truthful with him sooner and she hoped she may at least have a chance to apologize later.

Now, with her attention turned back towards Hoja, she kept her gaze and focus totally on him while she mentally prepared herself for what she had been told would likely happen next. She only wished Naruto wouldn't have to be here to see it because from their talk before, she knew how he would likely react.

"So, you're the girl that has been given to me by the Hyuga lord?" said Hoja as he got up from his seat.

Truth was, he had never actually met her before. This had all been arranged by his father who had told him of her beauty; even if her eyes were ghastly to look upon. And his father had been right about both. He then walked over and stood before her, her smaller form seemingly even smaller before his giant form.

"Now then, let your lord look upon you. Let's see if you are worthy of me" said Hoja in a commanding tone.

Hinata didn't make a sound or show any sign of resistance as he placed his thumb and index finger against her chin; turning her head to one side for a moment, then to the other side. He then turned her head back to looking at him before bringing a finger up and feeling her cheeks, then her lips.

"Hmm, soft skin. Moist lips" he said before removing his finger from her face and then proceeded to walk around her slowly, carefully examining her figure based on the way her kimono held itself against her form.

"You appear to be thin and curvy. But still, looking alone is not enough to be sure" said Hoja as he came to a stop directly behind her.

Sensing what was about to happen, Kakashi reaches over and lightly taps Naruto's leg ever so quickly, getting his attention. Naruto glanced over at him; seeing his eye looking at him and reminding him of the promise. As Naruto turned back to watching, Kakashi's words repeated over and over again in his head while a feeling that something bad was about to happen was felt in his gut.

And then, Hoja advanced forward, his arms wrapping around Hinata's waist and his hands finding rest against her chest before he started to grope her in a rather forceful and rough manner. Hinata remained still and silent as Hoja continued his action, though she was feeling dirty and violated inside.

Hoja smiles just a little as he removes his hands from her chest, saying "Above average breast size for such a young girl; good." His hands then move to her side and slowly trace downwards towards her thigh.

Once he had reached her leg, he says "Shapely and curvy too; very nice." He then brings a hand up and rest it against her stomach and then moves it down slightly to feel her belly, then says "Thin as well; also good." And then, the brings his hands around and grabs her butt; giving her a squeeze.

"Also good" he said, smiling in a lecherous manner as he finally let's her go and moves to stand before her again. "All in all, she's quite a catch. If not for these freakish eyes of her's, I'd say she would be the perfect girl."

"So do we have a deal then?" asked Ko, not caring at all about what had just transpired.

"Hoja looks at him and says "Yes, we have a deal. So long as she doesn't bare children with these eyes of her's" he then looks back at Hinata and says "She'll make a good bed partner for me." Hoja then claps his hands several times, causing two men to enter holding a large chest which is brought over to the Hyuga.

Ko opens it up as he and another Hyuga carefully examines the contents. Satisfied with what they saw, they close the chest and Ko says "Lady Hinata is now yours. From this day forth, she will be Nakamuji Hinata."

During this whole sequence of events, Naruto's anger had been steadily rising and it was only because of his desire to keep every promise he made and the fact the Kakashi had warned him that Hinata could be punished if he spoke up that had kept him quite. But still, seeing Hoja do what he just did had made him feel anger like nothing he had ever experienced before. And hearing Hoja say Hinata would make "a good bed partner" instead of saying "wife" made a dangerous could fire go rushing through his veins.

"Sumomo, please escort Hinata to her room. Malken, go and and escort our guest to the main gate, then go and fetch Father Jonas and have him come here" said Hoja to his two top servants. He then looks at Hinata and says "Don't get to comfortable in your room for we have a meeting to attend to."

Hinata simply nods her understanding as a green haired girl walks over to her. "This way, lady Hinata" said Sumomo. Hinata looks at her and gives another nod before following her out of the room. Hinata didn't look at Naruto as she left; the shame she was feeling at knowing he had to see all that kept her from looking at him one last time.

Ko looks at Hoja and ask "To the main gate?"

Hoja looks at him and says "That's right. You have done your duty and brought her here to me. And now that your business has been finished, I would like you all to leave my manner and my village at once."

"My lord, it is getting late in the day. Perhaps we could allow them to stay through the night" suggested Malken.

"I think not. Seeing as they brought a ninja from Senai with them, he can use his skill to seal both the carriage and the payment into scrolls, am I right?" asked Hoja as he looked at Kakashi.

"Correct" said Kakashi.

"Then they should have nothing encumbering them from crossing back into Senai and getting to the Outpost village in under two hours. Besides, this is not their land and foreigners aren't welcomed here beyond their official business; which they have now completed" said Hoja coldly.

Ko stands up and says "If that is what you wish, then we'll be on our way then." With that, Kakashi, Naruto, and the other three Hyuga stand as well. Pulling out an empty scroll, Kakashi seals the chest into it, then hands the scroll to Ko to hold onto.

"Well then, if you follow me then please" said Malken as he escorts them out of the room

Once they were gone, Hoja turns and heads off towards his office. As he walked, he couldn't help but smile just a little. So far, everything was going as planned.

Once they were outside, Kakashi sealed up the carriage into another scroll. Once that was done, Malken was about to continue the escort when Naruto suddenly ask "Hey, before we go, can I use the bathroom before we leave?"

Malken turns back and looks at him, asking "Can it not wait until you have arrived at the Outpost village?"

Naruto begins doing the pee pee dance as he says "I wish I could say yes, but I've been needing to go since before we got to Rinoa. And I was assuming we'd be staying the night; hence why I didn't ask sooner."

Malken sighs, then looks at the two manner entrance guards and says "Keep an eye on them while I take this boy to the bathroom."

As Naruto and Malken begin to walk, the escort says "I hope you don't mind using the servants bathroom."

"A crap house is a crap house" replies Naruto, earning an annoyed groan from Malken.

They soon arrived and Naruto entered the room. What followed was the usual tinkling sound followed by silence, then the sound of water from the faucet running, and then silence again. But this time the silence lasted for a few moments.

"Hey, what are you doing in there?" asked Malken as he went to open the door. But just as he touched the handle, the door opened on its on and Naruto exited.

"So, are you feeling better now?" asked Malken.

Naruto simply nods, then they both return to the others. As they walk up and Malken takes a front position to lead them out of the village. Kakashi looks at Naruto and ask "So, are you ready to leave yet?"

"Yes" was Naruto's reply, though it sounded low and somewhat monotone in nature. Kakashi looks at him for a moment, before sighing and returning his gaze to the front. Soon, they arrived at Rinoa's main gate and made a quick exit. Once he was sure they were gone and the gate securely closed, Malken makes his way back into Rinoa to fetch the Father.

Back at the Nakamuji estate, a small mouse exits out of the servants bathroom. Standing on its hind legs and looking around; seeing no sign of life, the mouse's eyes give a slight glow before it begins to grow and reshape itself into Naruto's form.

'Good, it worked after all. Now, where to find Hinata?" thought Naruto as he stealth-fully made his way through the building. As he carefully passed through a few hall ways, his eyes fell upon the girl that had escorted Hinata to her room.

'I'll have her take me to Hinata' thought Naruto as he pictures Malken's appearance in his mind and using that picture. He uses the transformation jutsu to turn into a copy of him.

Once the change had been complete, Naruto stepped out and approached Sumomo. The girl heard the foot steps behind her and turned, eyes wide as she says "Master Malken, what are you doing here? I thought you were being sent to retrieve Father Jonas."

"Never mind that, escort me to lady Hinata's room" said Naruto in Malken's voice.

"Sir?" asked Sumomo.

"Are you having problems hearing today? I said escort me to her room NOW" said Naruto more forcefully.

"Um...yes sir, I understand" said Sumomo as she turned and began walking back in the direction she had just come from.

Naruto felt like a monster inside; having said what he had just said. He felt as bad for this girl as he did for Hinata and Hanabi. And deep inside, he wished he could help her too. "I'm sorry" he said quietly to himself.

"You're one of the Senai shinobi, aren't you?" asked Sumomo quietly.

"What are you talking about?" asked Naruto.

"I heard you say sorry to me. And besides, master Malken hits us servants who require him to repeat himself" said Sumomo.

"Bastard" said Naruto, feeling his anger rising again. He then looks at Sumomo and says "So, are you taking me to Hinata or to your lord?"

"To lady Hinata, as you asked me to. May I ask why you stayed here; risking your life and possibly even trouble for Senai just to see her again? Are you and her...you know, lovers?" asked Sumomo.

Naruto blushed at the thought of him and Hinata being like that; which was impossible anyways. After all, she deserved better than him in his mind. "No, we aren't. I only just met here the other day while we were staying at an inn in Shenlong. And I only just learned she was the Hyuga we were escorting here."

"Then why the risk?" asked Sumomo again.

"I made a promise to her sister; to save her from this if I could. And, on a personal note, I want to save her from this. Hinata...is to kind hearted to have to be put into this life" said Naruto.

"I see..." replied Sumomo as she continued walking. She didn't speak anymore though Naruto wondered if he should offer to save her to.

They soon stopped outside a door and Sumomo turned to look at him, saying "This is it. I must report to my lord now and it won't be long before he summons her to him to meet with Father Jonas. If I were you, I'd wait till after the meeting before taking her; assuming you can convince her to leave with you that is."

"Sumomo, why wait? And why..." Naruto started to ask, but she interrupted him.

"Lord Hoja won't take her to bed till after they are married. His calling her is simply protical and formality to meet the Father and discuss the wedding. After that, she will be returned to her room and likely not bothered again till morning; thus giving you time to escape should she choose to go with you. Though I suggest you hide until her return once she's summoned as her dinner will likely be brought in during her absence. I'm sorry but I must go now" said Sumomo, who quickly turned and walked away.

As Naruto watched her go, one question still remained in his mind. 'Why are you helping me, Sumomo?'

He pushed that thought from his mind for now as he had a more important purpose to fulfill at present. So, he turned to the door and knocked. After a second, Hinata spoke up and saying her could enter.

Naruto opened the door and entered into Hinata's room. As he closed the door behind him, he looked onto Hinata who was looking at him curiously. "Master Malken, why are you here?" asked Hinata.

"I've come to get you out of here, lady Hinata" said Naruto as he released the transformation; his body shifting back to its normal shape.

Hinata's eyes go wide with shock as she stands up from her chair and says "Naruto?"

_next time: Hinata's choice, a new problem..._

**N.O. Info**

(Asuma) Greeting everyone, I am Sarutobi Asuma and I will be your guide to the history of Shumoa. It all began 800 years ago, when Shumoa was first colonized by people who were escaping a harsh life living on Antana.

Upon coming to live here, the people located a good place to build a village. It was located within the heart of Shumoa and had plenty of resources for which to cultivate the land. Plus, being located at the center of the land, enemy attacks would be difficult.

There was one minor complaint about the area and that was it suffered from many rainstorms throughout the year. But still, it was still a good strong land; so the trade off was worth it. And it was because of these storms that ultimately gave the small village its name; Ame.

(Konohamaru) Uncle Asuma, how did we go from just a simple rain soaked village to having what we have now? And how did the Hidden Village system come into play?

(Asuma) I'm getting to that. Over the next twenty years, Ame and it's people grew in both size and power and this rapid growth didn't escape the watchful eye of the Tsun-Owa kingdom, which were the rulers of Antana at the time.

Learning that an invasion was coming, the people of Shumoa banded together and elected a leader to help lead them against the would be invaders. It was because of this that we gained the First Grand Daimyo.

He was chosen do to his power, knowledge, and ability to bring the people together. Using his great wisdom, and elected five men to be his special generals who would each train an army based upon their skills and battle styles.

The invasion soon came and for twenty eight years, war raged on our shores. The Tsun-Owa had expected an easy victory against us, but the Shumoa forces proved a capable counter to their armies. It didn't hurt that we were fighting on our own soil while they had to cross the waters to get here.

(Konohamaru) And in the end, we kicked their butts, huh?

(Asuma) Actually, no we didn't. You see, so focused on trying to conquer us and take the riches our land gave us; the Tsun-Owa failed to notice the Chin-Xi mounting their own armies and launch a surprise attack against them. As a result of this, the Tsun-Owa easily fell and their lands became part of the Chin-Xi. And the Chin-Xi had no interest in us; thus leading to a non aggression pact between our two lands that has lasted to this day.

Now, with the war over, the Grand Daimyo decides to award his five generals for the exemplary work they and their armies had done in the service of Shumoa. And his reward was to split Shumoa into six regions; giving one region to each general to rule over while keeping the central region under his own dominion.

(Konohamaru) Oh, and if I'm right, the names of five generals were...

(Asuma) Exactly; Senai, Fumala, Duno, Shauti, and Keishu. Though they were still the Grand Daimyo's top generals, they were also given the title of Feudal Lord of the region they had been given. And both their descendant's as well as the first Grand Daimyo's have continued to rule over us to this day.

(Konohamaru) And that was the first Great War too, right?

(Asuma) Not exactly. It was a war to be sure, but not the first great war of Shumoa. That would come many years later. And next time, we'll talk about this and how it affected our land as well as the birth of the current Hidden Village system.

(Konohamaru) So make sure you don't miss it as it's going to be interesting...right?


	6. 16 The Other Arrangement

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.16: The "Other" Arrangement**

Hinata's eyes go wide with shock as she stands up from her chair and says "Naruto?"

Naruto remains standing in place, looking at her for a moment before asking "Why didn't you tell me that you where the heiress we were escorting back when we talked in Shenlong?"

Hinata looks away and says "I'm sorry I didn't tell you Naruto, but I..." She then looks back at him and adds "I really wanted to talk with you and I was afraid that if I told you who I really was, then you would be more reserved and hesitant in talking to me."

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"Truth be told, you left quite an impression on me when you battled with Ko that day. And as a result of that moment, I was able to see that you were different than most guys and...well, learning that just made me want to talk with you. But that was still no excuse for me to lie to you. I'm really sorry, Naruto" said Hinata as she bowed before him.

Naruto raises a hand and says "That's OK. Learning the truth really didn't hurt me that much. But still, I could have done without the surprise back in the meeting room. Heh."

Hinata smiles as she nods in agreement with him. And then came that awkward silence between them as neither knew what to say or do next. Finally, Naruto spoke up and asked "Umm, is it OK if I sit down?"

Hinata blushes out of embarrassment and says "Of course, Naruto. Please sit here." She then points to the chair she had just been sitting in. Once Naruto was seated, Hinata took a few steps over to her bad and sat along the edge of it while still looking at Naruto.

After another few moments of awkward silence between them, Naruto says "I...well...I wish I had known that you where the heiress sooner, Hinata. If I had, I could have given you that letter your sister asked me to deliver to you. And I would give it to you now, but I...well, I...lost..."

"Oh, you mean this one?" asked Hinata as she reached into her attire and pulled out the very envelope Naruto had just been talking about.

"I was wondering if you had found it" said a wide eyed, yet relieved Naruto. "But I was afraid that I might have dropped it elsewhere. Phew..."

"Thank you for delivering this to me, Naruto" said Hinata.

Naruto smiles broadly as he brings both hands behind his head and says "Well, I didn't actually deliver it directly to you, but I did except it from your sister. So, sure, no problemo. By the way, is it OK if I ask what it is she wrote? Or, is it on the personal side and not any of my business?"

Hinata extends the letter out to Naruto and says "I don't mind, here."

Naruto takes the letter and unfolds it, then starts reading it.

_Dearest sister,_

_I'm sorry for all the years I stayed distant with you. It is one of the many regrets I have in life and will carry with me for as long as I live. It was on fathers orders, but it was still wrong. The way you were treated just because of your eyes was unfair. And I should have at least made an effort to help you during this painful time. But I didn't and I am truly sorry._

_That's why I am about to make a selfish request of you. Please Hinata, don't follow the rules and marry this man named Hoja. I have heard things about him. Horrible things that scare me. If you marry him, your life will only be filled with more pain than you should ever have to bare._

_After everything that you have had to endure in this life so far, please don't subject yourself to suffering anymore, please sister. Even if it is a betrayal of how we were raised to think and act, do this for yourself and for me as well. Have both the life and the freedom you deserve. A life I myself can never know._

_And if you choose to honor my request, then I implore you to beseech the shinobi of Konoha to help you. That boy, the one called Uzumaki Naruto, will help you. I just know it. And also, I..._

_I'm sorry sister, but I'm running out of time. I must deliver this message to the ninja while I still can. I wanted to tell you more, but there isn't time. So I shall end the letter with this final thing..._

_I love you, Hinata my sister._

_Hanabi_

Naruto sat there and digested what he had just read. Reading this had only made his desire to save Hinata and, eventually, Hanabi from their respective fates. In his heart, he once again swore an oaf that he would do this. If nothing else, he would save them.

"Naruto, you said you were going to save me" said Hinata, bring him out of his thoughts to look at her.

"I am, now more than ever. I can't leave you here to suffer through this" said Naruto.

"Lord Naruto, if this is about honoring my sisters request? You..." said Hinata.

Naruto goes to his feet quickly, his voice louder and more forceful than he was intending as he says "This goes beyond that, Hinata. Sure, your sister asked me personally to save you back in Tamatsa. But even if she didn't, I would still want to save you. After seeing and hearing how girls like yourself are treated; how you specifically have been treated, there's no way I'm gonna leave you here. Especially with that guy."

"You don't have a chose, Naruto. I was given to him. He paid my father for me and that makes me his. I have no other chose than to stay here and..." said Hinata.

"That's bull and you know it. You are not a slave, Hinata. Just because there was some exchange of money for you between your dad and Nakamuji doesn't mean anything to me. What about your sister's wishes? Don't they mean anything to you?"

Hinata just looks at him and says "Naruto, I...I..." She then looks down, unsure of what it is she wanted.

(Hoja's office)

A knock at the door alerted Hoja to the presence outside as he said "Enter."

Malken came in through the door, followed by two other individuals; one of who was an old man while the other was clothed in a way that suggested that he was a student to the older man.

"Ah, Father Jonas. I've been expecting you" said Hoja as he got up from his seat and approached the aged priest.

"Indeed. So, I'm assuming your blushing bride has finally been brought here?" asked Jonas.

"Yes, she has. She's currently in her room. Shall I call her here now?" asked Hoja.

"Of course. The sooner we can do this, the sooner we we can all get what we want" said the assistant.

Hoja nods and says "Very well. Sumomo..."

The young servant girl enters into the room and ask "Sir?"

"Go and fetch my bride for me. It is time we get things moving forward" said Hoja.

Sumomo nods and says "Yes, my lord." And with that, she leaves the room to go about her task.

(back with Naruto and Hinata)

Naruto sighs as he gets up and walks over to Hinata; taking a seat next to her and places a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata, were you OK with what Hoja did to you during the meeting?"

"It was expected and I..." Hinata started to say, but Naruto cuts her off.

"That's not what I asked. How did it make you feel?"

Hinata hesitates for just a moment, then says "I hated it. I hated it so much. I felt like I was being violated in front of everyone. I wanted to pull away and and tell him to not touch me ever again."

"Do you want to be married to a guy like that?" asked Naruto.

Hinata shakes her head and says "No, I don't. Just the thought of it scares me. But, what other choice do I have?"

"You can leave here with me. Right now if you want. I will take you away from all of this" said Naruto comfortingly.

"But where would I go? I can't return home. Father would only kick me out and possibly send me back here again" said Hinata.

"No worries, Hinata. You can come back to Konoha with me. You could even stay with me if you want. I know such of thing is rather inappropriate and my home is rather small, but you could stay with me if you want" said Naruto.

"But, wouldn't that be impossible? I heard the Hidden villages don't take in outsiders unless they have familial ties with people who live there" asked Hinata.

"I don't care. If anyone has an issue, I'll make them understand and accept you. I'll ask the Hokage to let you stay. That old goat owes me anyways. And if they won't have you, then I...then I'll just leave the village and we'll find a new place to live. I won't abandon you, Hinata" said Naruto in earnest.

Hinata looks at him, her cheeks aglow in a blush as she says "You...would do all that for me?"

"Believe it" said Naruto as he gave her a big smile. "So what do you say, Hinata? Wanna make a run for it while the running's good?"

Hinata remains quiet for just a second, then says "Yes Naruto, I want to leave with you."

"OK then, let's..." Naruto starts to say, but stops as they hear a knock on the door.

Both Naruto and Hinata freeze up at the knocking continues till finally, Hinata ask aloud "What is it?"

"Lady Hinata, Lord Hoja has request your presence in his office to meet the village priest and discuss the wedding" said Sumomo from the other side of the door.

"Understood, I'll be right out" said Hinata as she stands up and starts to head for the door.

Naruto gets up as well and places a hand on her shoulder, stopping her, and ask "Did you mean it, Hinata? Do you really want me to take you away from all of this?"

For just a moment, she remains silent before finally saying "Yes, I...I do want go with you."

Nodding, Naruto says "OK, go and play the role of the subservient bride for now. I'll sneak off into the village and look around to find a way to sneak you out. Once I have found one, I'll come back and once it gets dark outside, I'll sneak the both of us out of here and we'll make for the border."

Hinata nods her understanding of his plan as she turns back towards the door. Naruto meanwhile, makes for her bedroom window and opens it up; sneaking out onto the grounds to begin his personal mission. Once he was out, Hinata opens her door and walks out to join Sumomo.

As they walk down the hallway, Sumomo looks at Hinata and ask "Is mister Naruto still in there?"

Hinata goes wide eyed and ask "How did you...?"

"I was the one who brought him to you" replied Sumomo. "At his request, of course."

"I see" said Hinata as she thought about what else to say.

"Is he planning on taking you away from here?" asked Sumomo.

"He...Naruto, he..." said Hinata, unsure on if she could trust Sumomo.

"If he is, then go with him. Don't worry, I won't tell lord Hoja" said Sumomo.

"You won't? But why? I thought you were his loyal servant?" asked Hinata.

"I...have my reasons. Let's leave it at that" was all at Sumomo said to her.

The rest of the walk was filled with silence till they arrived outside Hoja's office. Sumomo stepped forward and laid a simple knock on the door while saying "My lord, I have brought lady Hinata."

"She may enter" replied Hoja from the other side of the door. Sumomo turns to Hinata and leans in close and whispers "Good luck, for both you and Naruto." Then Sumomo turns around and walks away.

Once Sumomo had walked away down into the hall, Hinata turned to the door and entered into the room. Once she made sure she had closed the door behind her, she turned her attention to Hoja and the others in the room and said "You asked to see me...my...lord?"

The sudden freeze in Hinata's speech had nothing to do with Hoja or Malken, but rather the other two men in the room. Though she could see the forms of the aged priest and student, those forms were hazy and transparent in her eyes. But beneath these phantom shades, she could see two other, very different men who were totally solid unlike the outer shapes. And, she knew the meaning of the garb that these men wore.

"K...Ku...Kumo" said Hinata, backing away in fear. A fear that she has suffered ever since she had been three.

The aged priest looked at her and asked "Pardon?"

"Hinata, my dear, what is the meaning of this?" asked Hoja, his voice low and angry.

"My lord, don't trust these men. They aren't priest of this village. They're Kumo shinobi of Shauti; using some ninja illusion technique to confuse you" said Hinata, shaking in fear from the memories.

"Shinobi of Kumo?" said Hoja in surprise.

The priest grins and says "Actually, we're just using a transformation jutsu, not a genjutsu. But still, the fact you could perceive the real us through that is astonishing, me dear. You truly are a gem." Then, both he and his partner return to there original forms.

Hinata remains stationary for just a second before turning and making a run for the door. But the other Kumo nin moves quickly, grabbing her and pinning her arms to her back. He then brings a kunai out and holds it to her neck and says "I wouldn't resist if I were you."

Seeing Hinata nod in defeat, the other Kumo nin then turns back to look at Hoja, who ask "So, I'm assuming we have a deal then?"

The first Kumo nin nods as he pulls out a scroll and unravels it. "We do indeed, master Hoja." He then releases the contents of the scroll; that being a rather large chest. He then takes the key laying atop the chest in hand and opens it, revealing a rather large amount of gold and silver colored coins within.

Hoja's eyes go wide as he gets up from his seat and walks over to the chest and runs his hand over the money. After a moment of this, he looks at the Kumo nin and ask "Is this the whole thing? I would have thought it would be bigger?"

The Kumo nin shakes his head and says "No, this is only thirty percent of what was agreed upon. The remaining seventy percent will be delivered along with our other agreement in one weeks time."

Hoja nods and says "Good, good." The Kumo nin then closes the chest, re-locking it with the key and handing it to Hoja, who slides it into his pocket for now. He then looks at Hinata and sees the confused look on her face and the fear in her eyes and decides to explain this to her.

"I'm guessing you would like to know what's going on. Well, I'll tell you, my dear. You see, the village our friends here represent learned of this little arrangement and approached me and made me a rather generous offer. In exchange for you, they would pay me five times the amount I had to pay for you as well as the hand of one of Shauti's noble families to take as a replacement wife" explained Hoja.

"Then why...what about earlier?" asked Hinata.

"Oh, you mean our meeting? That was purely for my own personal pleasure. After all, if not for your eyes, I might have had second thoughts about this deal. But the risk of having kids with those horrendous eyes is to great" explained Hoja before stepping forward and leaning in close to her.

"It's to bad I have to give you to them now. I wouldn't have minded taking you to bed at least once" said Hoja before pulling away, looking back at the lead Kumo, and asking "If that wouldn't have violated the contract, that is."

"Lord Raikage would prefer her untouched. After all, he may be interested in...breaking her spirit. In any case, we should be going. Our leader will be expecting us" said the Kumo as his partner nods and begins dragging Hinata towards the door.

"Your leader? I thought you were in charge" said Hoja.

"No, the two of us are just Chunin ranked. Our sensei is of Jonin ranked and he had...other business to deal with. We're just meant to pick up this girl and make the first delivery to you, then meet up with him near the border" explained the Kumo.

Hoja nods and says "Well then, I wish you three a safe and speed trip back to your home." And with that, the lead Kumo walked over and pulled out a rope and wrapped it around Hinata's wrist. His partner then pulls out a submission seal and places it against Hinata's forehead.

Her eyes go distant and vacant looking, leading Malken to ask "What did you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Just a little something that will make her more...compliant with us. After all, the last thing we need is to have to deal with her struggling and slowing us down" said the lead Kumo before they both departed.

As they walked to the entrance of the Nakamuji mansion, the second Kumo ask "So, what's the plan?"

"Simple, we head to Gijar Canyon as planned and await Hanbano-sensei's return from his mission. The we can head home" said the lead Kumo.

After they had made some distance from that spot, Sumomo emerges from the shadow and thinks 'Lady Hinata? Oh Hoja, what have you done?' She then remembers what they were talking about. 'Gijar Canyon; I need to tell Naruto about this.'

And with that, Sumomo runs back to Hinata's room; planning on telling Naruto about this and hoping he could save Hinata.

_Next time: Betrayal, chase..._

AN: The next N.O. Info should be in the next chapter as I am still working out some details about the more recent history of the Shumoa continent as well as the details surrounding the origins and further histories of the five Hidden Villages.


	7. 17 The Canyon

AN: Sorry for the delay, my internet has been down for over a week. I should have RMN 38 up by Friday, assuming my internet doesn't go out again. I'll explain more in said RMN chapter.

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.17: The Canyon**

Naruto carefully reentered the Nakamuji compound, being ever so careful to not be seen by any of the guards or servants as he made his way back to the window of Hinata's bedroom. He had found a way to get them both out of the village come night fall; though it would require Hinata to ride piggyback on Naruto for a while.

As Naruto came to a stop outside Hinata's window, a thought came to him. In order for Hinata to ride piggy back on him, she'd need to expose her legs from her kimono and unless she had some pants (or something of a similar nature) on underneath her kimono, then his hands would be touching the bare skin of her legs.

The thought, as it crossed through his mind, made him blush madly. He couldn't help but wonder if her skin would be soft and smooth. And then there was the possibility that he may even have to touch her butt to help support her which only made him blush more than before.

Suddenly becoming aware of what this train of thought was doing to him, he shakes it from his head and mentally scolds himself for thinking of perverted things at a time like this. He needed to be focused on saving her, not possibly making a move to first base with her. That could wait till later; much later.

Once he was composed again, he carefully rose up on his feet and peeked ever so carefully into her room, seeing no sign of nobody. 'I guess she hasn't gotten back yet' thought Naruto as he reaches up and runs his hand under the window and lifts it open. Then ever so carefully, he leaps in while being careful to avoid making a sound.

Once inside, Naruto looked around for a place to conceal himself till Hinata got back, but his scan of the room was cut off as he heard the sound of the door nob being turned and the door opening, Just as he was about to dash under her bed, he heard a familiar voice say "Master Naruto? It's Sumomo."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto says quietly "Yeah, I just got back."

The door then opens quickly and Sumomo dashes in before shutting the door again and locking it for safety. "I'm glad you've gotten back already. We have a situation."

"What is it? What's happened?" asked Naruto, his earlier thoughts of an easy escape slowly fading away.

"Lord Hoja, he...he's sold Lady Hinata" said Sumomo sadly.

Naruto just stands there for a second as this information sinks in, then he shouts out "WHAT? What do you mean by sold? Why and to who?"

"He sold her, simple as that. Some men came when they learned he was going to be wedding Lady Hinata and made him an offer he went for. Five times the amount he paid for Lady Hinata as well as a replacement wife" said Sumomo.

Naruto scowled, his anger rising quickly and the desire to go and have a little "talk" with Hoja was building as he said "That bastard. So, who did he sell Hinata too?"

"It was the Kumo" said Sumomo.

Naruto's heart froze at hearing that. He quickly remembered what he had heard before about the Kumo having attempted to kidnap Hinata in the past and it seems they were still at it and have now succeeded. "Why didn't you warn us of this before? I would have gotten Hinata out of here if I had known beforehand."

A tear escaped Sumomo's eyes as she says "I'm sorry, I didn't know till I saw the two men taking her from the grounds. I honestly thought he had called her to discuss their upcoming wedding."

Naruto nods as he takes up a thinking pose. He then ask "OK, you said that there was two of them. Did you notice anything of interest about them or hear anything said by them that could be important?"

"They were both wearing gray colored vest that had a bulky, armor like quality to it. These vest also had a lot of pockets on them and both vest had a shuriken symbol on the back. And they mentioned that they were meeting their sensei at Gijar Canyon" said Sumomo.

Naruto thought about her description of the two men. 'From the sound of it, these two Kumo are Chunin ranked. That's going to make saving Hinata a pickle of a problem. Still, at least they aren't Jonin though their sensei likely is.'

"OK, so where can I find Gijar Canyon and is there anything you can tell me about it that could help me save Hinata?" asked Naruto.

"Gijar Canyon is located northwest of hear, along the Fumala/Jezai border. And if I remember correctly, Gijar Canyon has this weird weather anomaly that happens every so often where a really dense fog will suddenly roll in at all times of the day" explained Sumomo.

'Well, that could be helpful' thinks Naruto as he turns and heads towards the window. "Thanks for telling me this, Sumomo."

"Can you save her?" asked Sumomo.

Naruto stops before the window and says "I'm gonna try, but it won't be easy. I've only been a Genin ranked ninja for a little over three months now and I'm gonna be going up against two Chunin and possibly a Jonin. If that fog thing is happening, then maybe I'll have better odds, but..."

"I see" said Sumomo, understanding that Naruto was facing a rather difficult, possibly fatal rescue attempt here. "I'll pray for you success, Master Naruto."

"Thank you, Sumomo" said Naruto as he goes to exit through the window, but stops and ask "Sumomo, why do you serve that Hoja guy anyways? After what he did to Hinata, it's obvious he's not a good man. If you want, I'll help you escape from here too."

Sumomo hesitates to respond for a moment, then says "I know I can't defend him to you and I won't try to either. But please believe me when I say that he wasn't always like this. Once, long ago, he was a good man who would have never done something like this. And I could never leave him anyways."

Naruto turns his head back to look at her and ask "Why?"

Sumomo blushes and says "Because...I love him."

"Wha...?" says Naruto as he cocks his head to the side.

"You see, I was an orphan when Lord Hoja found me. I was six and he was fourteen. He gave me a place to live, food to eat, and a purpose in life. He always took care of me and when I was thirteen, we...confessed our true feelings for one another and started sharing a bed together" said Sumomo as she smiled at the memory of their time together.

"Sharing a bed...OH, wow. When you were thirteen, huh?" said Naruto, understanding what she meant by sharing a bed. He knew age didn't matter to some people for "that" particular relationship. But it still seemed weird to hear it confirmed.

"He even asked me to marry him, which I happily accepted. But then, he and his father left on a special trip to Ame and when they returned; Lord Hoja had changed. He had become the man he is now and...he forgot about us. But despite that, I still love him and will continue to stay by his side; supporting him till my dying breath with the hope he may one day remember what we had" said Sumomo.

Naruto sighed, though he understood what she was saying to him. He understood that he wouldn't be able to convince her to leave as well. But what he didn't understand was why she could still love him. Maybe if he had been shown love as a child, then maybe he could better understand her feelings and loyalty to Hoja. But since he hadn't been raised with love or an understanding of love, all he could say was...

"Your love is wasted on him."

Sumomo looks at Naruto sadly as he turns back to the window and adds "I'm going after Hinata now. But I suggest you pray for her safety and NOT my success. I say that because if those men have done anything to hurt her, I swear...I'll be back and I will make Hoja pay for her suffering."

And with that, Naruto leads from the window; not bothering to listen for a reply to his final statement from Sumomo. Knowing he didn't have time to waste, Naruto didn't bother with going for his escape route. Instead, he headed straight for the main gate at top speed.

As he ran, he could hear yelling and surprised gasp from the civilians and he could hear guards shouting at him to stop. He ignored them all as he kept heading at the main gate. The sound of arrows cutting through the air was faintly heard by Naruto, not that he didn't care.

A sudden hit from an arrow into his right shoulder jerked Naruto into stopping for a second. He then saw the gate become fully closed, making him ever angrier than what he had been when he had been told of Hinata's current situation. So, building chakra into his feet, Naruto does a powerful leap up and over the gate and lands outside the city walls.

He only takes a second to look back; his eyes shifting between blue and red in rapid succession as he reaches up and pulls the arrow from his shoulder. Once it was out, he drops it on the ground and continues heading towards Gijar Canyon, thoughts of Hinata in danger fueling his momentum forward.

(with Kakashi)

As the escort and Kakashi arrived outside Wel, Kakashi came to a stop and said "OK, I think he's had enough time."

"Pardon?" asked Ko as he and the other Hyuga came to a stop and looked back at him.

Kakashi's response was to suddenly pull a kunai out and stab it into the body of Naruto, who was standing beside him. The Hyuga were shocked at first; but their shock turned to confusion as Naruto suddenly turned ink black before bursting like a bubble.

"What the hell did you do?" asked one of the other Hyuga.

"It would seem Naruto used his going to the bathroom as an opportunity to create a clone of himself to send with us while he remained behind. Likely to speak with Lady Hinata" said Kakashi.

"And I bet you knew right from the get go. Don't think I didn't notice the odd look you gave him when he came back from from using the facilities as well as his odd silence on this walk" said Ko.

Kakashi turns to look at him then waves his hand in a dismissive manner with his one exposed eye closed as he says "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"A likely story" sarcastically said Ko.

"Anyways, I have to return to Rinoa and fetch him...if that's OK with you?" said Kakashi.

"Do as you please. We delivered Lord Hiashi's daughter to Hoja and received the final payment for her so what happens after that is not of our concern. Just remember that our Lord still wants you to return to deliver another message to your Hokage" said Ko.

"Don't worry. Once I have retrieved Naruto, we shall either join up with you in route to Tamatsa or see you all there" said Kakashi as he turns and heads back towards Rinoa.

'Naruto, I just hope leaving you back there doesn't result in you doing something stupid now' thinks Kakashi as he speeds up his movement.

(Hoja)

"Malken, would you go fetch Sumomo for me" asked Hoja as he got up from his chair and walked over to the chest.

"Of course sir" said Malken as he turned and exited the room.

Once he was alone, Hoja ran his hand over the chest as he felt an old excitement rush through his body. And that excitement had brought out some old desires within him; desires he hadn't felt in a long time. And as he was her master, he had no doubt Sumomo would be willing to help him sate his desire.

Reaching into his pocket, Hoja pulled out the key to the chest and slid it into the lock. He smiled as he opened the chest, ready to gaze upon his new found wealth. And then...the chest exploded in a massive fury of fire.

And as for Hoja? He, along with everything else in the room, was vaporized in an instant. A fitting end to this man as they would say.

(Kumo nin)

"So, this the place?" asked the second Kumo as he made Hinata take a seat on a round rock.

"Yeah, can't see any sign of Hanbano-sensei though" said the first Kumo.

The second nods as he takes a seat just a few feet from Hinata, then asked "Do you think Nakamuji has received his "real" payment yet?"

"Probably. I would assume he's opened the chest on his own by now and if everything went as it was suppose to; using the key without first sending chakra into it to cancel the activation of the explosives will trigger the blast once the chest was opened" said the first.

The second nods, then looks at Hinata and ask "You think she would have said anything if she had been able to see the real contents of the chest beyond the genjutsu?"

"That question is mute now. Besides, we have better things to do. I'm gonna release the signal to see if sensei is already in the canyon but not here" said the first. He then makes several hand signs and says "Lightning style: 5 Voltage Pillars."

Immediately, five pillar shaped columns of lighting burst outwards into the darkened sky, giving off a strong flare like pulse across the whole canyon. After maintaining it for several seconds, he release the jutsu and waits.

After about twenty seconds, he turns to his companion and says "He hasn't arrived here yet. Better make ourselves comfortable for now" then sits on the ground and pulls out a small bar of food from his pouch.

"I never knew the 5 Voltage Pillars could be used as a signal beacon. Pretty interesting" said the second; impressed.

"Sensei said to send out a signal if he wasn't here when we got here. And this is as good as any. And besides, it's not like we've stolen anything from Fumala and the Suna have no reason to come at us seeing as we're on the border and all. And any other village wouldn't bother us anyways seeing as we aren't in their territory" said the first.

The second nods as he also pulls out a food bar from his vest and begins to eat. As they sit back and wait for their sensei, neither fail to notice the arrival up on the upper rock face above them. As Naruto looks down, he takes a moment to assess the situation.

"Hinata, just hold on. I'm gonna save you; some how" says Naruto in a quiet voice.

But the question was in the how factor. Sure, he could just jump down and surprise them with an attack. But even with the surprise element on his side, taking on two Chunin ranked ninja wasn't going to be easy. And there was also a possibility that Hinata could be caught up in this and be hurt as well.

And Naruto wasn't about to risk that happening. He's suddenly drawn from his thoughts as he feels the air suddenly cooling and his vision becoming foggy. 'What the heck?' was his thought as his vision slowly became harder to see Hinata or the Kumo chunin below him.

"Hey, what's going on? Are we being attacked?" asked the second Kumo as he quickly got to his feet and brought a kunai out to use.

The first Kumo waves a hand in a dismissive manner, then says "Calm down. I was afraid this would happen. Using the jutsu just a moment ago must have triggered something within the canyon atmosphere and now we're getting that fog problem we've heard about."

The second nods as he sits back down. Up above, Naruto remembers Sumomo telling him of this as well. 'Well, this could help with rescuing Hinata. But it's not going to be enough. I still need to come up with something to distract them. But what could I...wait, maybe that could work.'

As he stood up, a memory of a talk he had with Sarutobi shortly after he had learned the Shadow Clone jutsu. This talk had led Naruto to have a better understanding of the jutsu and what it could do. And as he had been walking home, another idea had come to mind that he had been experimenting on since that day.

'OK, I'm gonna give it a try. But even for me, this is gonna be hard...if not even impossible' thinks Naruto as he makes the hand sign for the Shadow Clone jutsu.

He knew that this plan, or at least have of the first part, could be done. After all, the Hokage had done it in his younger years. But for what he was planning was going to be on a scale that none had even come close to trying before; have ever dared to try for. And even if he could do this and it worked, he was going to be drained to near zero, if not zero itself, in chakra.

'I can do. I will do this...to save her' thinks Naruto as his shadow expands greatly around him. But before the clones could begin to form, Naruto breaks one hand free and reaches into his vest and pulls out a paper bomb and drops it onto his shadow.

Then while concentrating, he is able to meld the paper bomb into his shadow. He knew this could work with a few clones, but he would soon see if it would work as he hoped. And as he began working his chakra, creating bubbles that would rise up from his shadow and began reshaping into clones of himself, Naruto keeps his thoughts centered on doing this and reminding himself that if he failed, then Hinata would suffer for it.

_Next time: Naruto's plan, needed rest, and the Kumo Jonin..._

**N.O. Info**

(Ebisu) Continuing were we left off from before, we shall now speak about the origin's of the Hidden Village system and more on how things that are factual in today's world came to be. This chapter in our history begins in around 80 years ago, right here in our very Senai region.

Since the Grand Daimyo created the five regions around his Jezai region, the capital city of each of the five would receive request from the people living in those regions and would then send out his personal samurai to help aid the people.

But 80 years ago, the feudal lord of Senai grew tired of all the request being sent his way; due in part to the fact that he was rather vain and uncaring about his people. But he couldn't just stop helping his people, an annoying is it was. So he spent long and hard trying to think of a solution to his problem.

And then one day, an idea came to mind. He would create a special group that would handle all the request of not only the people, but request that he himself might have. And this special group would not be samurai, but a new breed of warrior; ninja.

Once this decision was made, he then decided to approach the most powerful clans that lived within the Senai. Seeing as the Uzu no longer existed, he sent emissaries to the Hyuga, Senju, and Uchiha clans with his personal request to create a ninja force.

The Hyuga turned the offer down, seeing as they had no interest in such things. As for the Senju and Uchiha clans; both sent their highest ranking leaders to the feudal lord to meet with him on this subject. After many hours of talking, it was finally decided that both clans would work together in this ninja force. Now only one problem remained. Who would lead the order?

(Konohamaru) I smell a fight coming.

(Ebisu) Either that or you need a bath. But you are non the less correct about a battle being held. The lord decided that a battle would be held between the leaders of the Senju and Uchiha clans and the winner would be given the title of Hokage; leader of the new ninja force.

To that end and seven days after the meeting with the feudal lord, these two men would come face to face on the battlefield chosen by their lord. And these two leaders were Hashirama of the Senju and Madara of the Uchiha. And the battle between them would be one to remember.

This battle would last nearly twenty hours before a victor was finally decided upon. And that winner was Hashirama. Despite the power of the Uchiha's legendary power known as the Sharingan, it was not enough to overcome the force of the Wood Style.

In this victory, the Senju became the main force of Senai's shinobi. And the Uchiha, choosing to honor their end of the agreement, decided to offer whatever help the Senju would need; if they ever need it. Madara, on the other hand, was not so gracious in defeat.

It was Madara's belief that Hashirama had cheated in some way, that there was simply no way the Sharingan could have been beaten. He tried, in vain, to get the Uchiha to abandon the deal and demand another match. But the Uchiha refused this and when Madara wouldn't drop it, they decided to simply drop him instead. Madara was stripped of his power as leader and was exiled from Senai forever.

(Konohamaru) And that was the end of Madara, huh?

(Ebisu) I wish that was the case, but it sadly wasn't. Madara did disappear for a time as the Senju, with their Uchiha allies, helped build the new Hidden Village of Konoha into what it would become in this time. But after nine years of absence, Madara reared his head from the shadows he had been hiding in.

He demanded a rematch with Hashirama and stated that denying him would be a sign of cowardice on the part of the Hokage and an insult to the pride and honor of Madara himself.

(Konohamaru) So basically, Madara is a Saiyan not unlike Vegeta, right?

(Ebisu) ? What are you...never mind, we need to wrap this up seeing as we're running out of time. Lord First decided to accept the battle and headed off along with several Senju and Uchiha along as witnesses. And they location of their battle would be...the Valley of the End.

In our next installment, we shall finish up the history of the Senai region, how the Hidden Villages came to be, the three great ninja wars, and the act the would forever leave the name Madara Uchiha to be a name that would be hated and scorned throughout all of Shumoa.

(Konohamaru) And here's a hint about that. The breaking of the Makai Gate.


	8. 18 Camp Out

For those wonder about Naruto's eyes flashing between blue and red in the last chapter. That is simply a result of Naruto's inner anger and his strong desire to get to Hinata and save her combining and causing him to make a momentary connection with the demon power sealed with in him; giving him a slight boost during his escape. More about the inner demon power will be revealed in the next chapter.

Also, this is the longest chapter so far. So read and enjoy...

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.18: Camp Out**

_Naruto stood outside the Hokage's private office as he nervously awaited the meeting with the old man. Even though Iruka had said that everything would be fine; that he didn't know what it was he was really reading, it still didn't stop him from worrying about his future within the village._

_He knew old man Sarutobi had nothing personally; or at least as far as he knew of anyways. But he knew very well how most everyone else in the village thought of him. And he also knew how the elders who advised the Hokage felt about him too. So to be honest, his being worried was both understandable and even justified._

"_Come in, Naruto" came the voice of the Hokage from the far side of the door._

_Naruto gulped before reaching up and opening the door and walked inside. Once in there, he tried his best to look cool and confident. But seeing how Sarutobi was looking at him, he had a good feeling that he was doing badly at his attempt at looking calm._

"_It's alright, Naruto. Just take a deep breath, calm down, and then take a seat" said the Hokage._

_Naruto did as he was told and took in several deep breaths till he indeed felt himself become calmer. Once this was done, he proceeded forward and took the seat opposite the desk Sarutobi was sitting at._

"_Boy, things have been thrown into quite a pickle, huh Naruto?" asked Sarutobi._

"_Yeah, about what happened last night. I..." Naruto starts to say, but stops when the Hokage raises a hand up to quiet him._

"_Iruka has already filled me in on it. To be honest Naruto, we have had suspicions for a while now that there was a traitor here in the village. We just didn't know till last night that it was Mizuki nor did we know what it was he was planning either. Truth be told Naruto, I am proud of you. Though you were tricked by Mizuki, you still rose to the occasion and defended your village with all you had" said Sarutobi proudly._

_Naruto smiles for a moment, then turns away as a half sarcastic grin, half worried look as he said "I really doubt the elders or the rest of the village will feel that way."_

_Sarutobi puffed his pipe before saying "That is true, but luckily for you that the villagers, at least, don't know about the truth. If they did, we'd all be getting hell thrown at us now."_

_Naruto looks back, wide eyed as he ask "The villagers haven't been told yet? But I thought the theft was know by everyone."_

"_It is known, but I might have left out one or two key details. As far as anyone knows, Mizuki acted alone and you were simply passed out in training ground 7 from chakra exhaustion. Homura and Koharu know the truth, but I managed to convince them to stay quiet about the truth" said Sarutobi._

_Naruto breathed a sigh of relief at knowing he wasn't going to have more crap to deal with. "Now then, let's talk about the Shadow Clone jutsu you learned from the scroll" said Sarutobi._

"_What do you mean? It's just the clone jutsu with the added bonus of the clones being solid, right?" asked Naruto._

"_In a way, but it's far more than that. As you said, the Shadow Clones created a physical clone that can actually attack enemies and help defend either you or others in battle. Though it still only takes a single hit to dispel them. But beyond that, the clones can also be used to gain experience in either sight, sound, and even training benefits. The jutsu is good for both scouting missions to gather valuable Intel on enemies and even make training yourself even easier seeing as the clones gain experience from training and once dispersed, the experience become part of you" explained Sarutobi._

"_I though something was off when the clones were dispersed. It was like I was seeing the fight, but from multiple angles. Wow, that's really cool to know" said Naruto as several ideas about his training regiment in the future could now be handled._

"_Indeed, but that's only the beginning. Here, let me demonstrate another useful use for them" said Sarutobi as he got up and created two clones. Naruto watched in rapped attention as the old man made a new hand sign in which he kept his thumb and index fingers on both hands out while the others were folded inward, then crossed across each other for form an oval shape between his hands, then said "Shadow Meld jutsu."_

_Immediately, the two clones lost their color and their definition of shape, taking on the appearance of three dimensional shadows that then fused together into a mass of a shadowy orb. Sarutobi then made a new sign in which he had his middle fingers locked together with the left on top of the right, the index and ring fingers of both hands angled out and touching at the finger tips while the thumbs and pinkies stretch further out as far as they could be as he then said "Shadow Shape jutsu."_

_Naruto's eyes grow even wider as the shadow sphere takes on a new form; one that resembled a humanoid demon with dark blue skin and multiple horns across its body. "A Makian?" asked Naruto._

_Sarutobi shakes his head and says "No, just an imitation of one. This was something I created when I was younger. You see Naruto, if you meld shadow clones together, you can make a bigger clone. The more clones, the bigger the size. And then, you can even reshape them based on an image you make within your mind through the shadow shape. Believe me, this has saved my butt on many occasions throughout my life. Just remember, all this still requires chakra to do; so be mindful of that if you choose to do this yourself in the future."_

"_Right...um...can you show me those signs again?" asked Naruto sheepishly._

(present)

Naruto had paid close attention that day and since then, he had taken special time to experiment with the Shadow Meld and Shape jutsu's. He, with help from Kakashi, had soon figured out how much chakra those jutsu consumed. And during their journey to Wave, Naruto had experimented with adding a paper bomb to the combination while alone, based on a random thought he had that came out of the blue.

Granted, doing this caused the explosive power of the paper bombs to be cut in half when fused in with his clones. But still, get enough explosion capable clones in a single small space could still make a rather powerful blast. And now, he was putting all three to the test in order to save Hinata. And what's more was the fact that he was doing on a level never before attempted by anyone.

Naruto strained as more and more clones formed all around him. Soon, he had the two hundred clones he needed for this finished. Taking in a deep breath, he then says "Do all of you have the explosive addition within you?"

Each clone closes their eyes for a moment, scanning themselves before looking at the original and nodded. "Good" said Naruto as he took another deep breath, then made a new hand sign and said "Alright, time for phase two. Shadow Meld jutsu."

Immediately, each clone lost their recognizable features; turning into their shadowy selves before reaching outwards and mixing with each other and forming into a massive sized sphere. Naruto was double glad for for this heavy fog now. If not for it, then the Kumo nin would see this without a doubt.

Once the sphere was finished forming, Naruto went to make the final hand sign, but froze as his vision blurred for a moment. 'Man, has what I done so far really taken that much chakra already?' Shaking that thought off, Naruto pictures a Makian he had seen in books within his mind; a rather nasty one at that, then says "Shadow Shape jutsu."

For a moment, the sphere remains normal. But then it begins to shift and churn as it begins to take on a new form. As his creation takes shape, Naruto begins to sweat and his vision begins to blur again and in an even worse state than before. He knew this was burning through his chakra fast, so he had to hurry.

After a minute of this, the new shadow clone was finished and Naruto fell to his knees; breathing heavily. The massive demon shaped clone looked at Naruto, who looked back and said "I'm fine. You know what to do. Now go." The clone nods as it begins it's mission while Naruto pushes his exhaustion off to the side as best he could while awaiting his moment to act.

Down below, the sudden rumble within the earth did not escape the notice of the two Kumo nin as they quickly jumped to their feet and brought their kunai's up and ready to be used. The rumble slowly began to grow and rocks along the ground would shake and jump from sudden impacts on the ground.

"What the hell is that?" asked the second Kumo.

"I don't know, but I don't like this feeling I'm sensing in the air" says the first.

As the quakes and rumbling increased in intensity, a low growling sound was heard and a massive form began to take shape within the mist. And then, the Kumo's eyes were finally able to see the beast approaching them.

It was massive in sized; looking like a horned behemoth like beast with a boar like snout as a nose and a body that resembled armor. The second Kumo's eyes widen in fear as he stammers out "Ma...Ma...Makian..."

"Damn, this is bad. I think it's a Archian type Makian" said the first.

The second looks back at Hinata and sees that she was still sitting in her spot, then looks back at his partner and ask "Can we make a run for it?"

"Not if we want to die quickly. These guys are fast, despite their size. Our best bet is to surprise it by attacking head on and taking out its eyes" says the first.

"But aren't they suppose to have rapid healing powers?" asked the second.

"Yes, they do. But it will need a moment to heal which will give us enough to take the girl and escape. Besides, unless Hanbano-sensei shows up right now, we really don't have a choice here" said the first Kumo.

The second nods in agreement. Then, just as the Makian roars loudly, the two Kumo take the opportunity to rush in for their attack. Seeing his moment, Naruto leaps down from his hiding spot and lands beside Hinata. He quickly takes her into his arms and then rushes back onto higher ground and breaks off into as fast a run as he could in his current worn out condition.

The Makian raises one of it's clawed hands into the air, then smashed it back down at the Kumo nin, who dodge the attack and leap into the air. They both then shout as they bring their weapons down onto the beast eyes, only for the eyes to suddenly vanish and the two find themselves falling into the beast body.

"What the hell...hey what the...?" shouts the first as he and his partner find themselves being grabbed by hands that were growing from the inner walls of the beast innards.

"Damn, it was a trick" says the second as a Naruto clone partially emerges and makes a hand sign before saying "Detonate." The Kumo's eyes go wide as everything around them explodes in an intense and bright, burning light.

As Naruto can see the edge of the canyon fast approaching, the thunderous sound of the explosion and the shock wave that followed quickly slams into him, sending both him and Hinata flying forward. Naruto manages to retake his hold on Hinata before she can hit the ground, then reorients his body so he takes the impact instead of the both of them.

Naruto groans in pain as he manages to get back onto his feet. He checks over Hinata and sighs in relief at seeing that she was fine; aside from some dirt on her face and in her hair. He then looks back at the source of the explosion were he could still see some trace of the fury that the explosion had unleashed.

'Mental note, never do that again. Very bad idea' he thinks before turning back towards the end of the canyon and continues onwards.

(Kakashi)

"State your business?" said the guard at the gate.

"Hatake Kakashi of the Hidden Village of Konoha. I was here earlier today with members of the Hyuga clan. When we left, we made an oversight and left my student behind. May I enter so I may find him and take him home?"

The guard looked skeptical for a moment, then said "Alright."

The gate slowly opened and Kakashi made his way in, only to find another guard awaiting him who said "You should know that we have had an incident."

"What do you mean?" asked Kakashi.

"There was an explosion at the Nakamuji residence just under an hour ago. We still don't have the full details. But we do know that Lord Hoja is dead" said the guard.

"Then maybe I can offer some assistance in finding out what happened?" offered Kakashi. The guard nodded his OK and the two quickly made their way through the village. As the walked, a fear was slowly building within Kakashi's mind.

'Naruto, I hope you aren't responsible for this.' It's not that Kakashi wanted to think Naruto would kill someone outside of it being a mission requirement. But given his anger issues as well as his demon powers, it was not impossible.

As they arrived at the Nakamuji house, Malken walked up and said "You? Why are you here?"

"My student Naruto may have stayed behind here in Rinoa. I came to retrieve him" replied Kakashi.

"I haven't seen him" was Malken's reply.

Kakashi took a moment to examine the damaged building, then asked "Just what happened here?"

"We were betrayed by those damn Kumo. They wanted to buy the Hyuga girl and Lord Hoja accepted their offer. But it was all a trick. They booby trapped the chest of money and it killed my lord" says Malken angrily.

'Kumo? Here, and they have Hinata. Naruto, please don't tell me you' thought Kakashi before asking "Do you know where these Kumo are now? I will deal with them as an act of curtsy and respect for your fallen lord."

"I wish I knew, but I thank you for the offer non the less" said Malken before he turned away and returned to doing what he had been doing before.

Kakashi sighed as he tried to think of what he could do next. "I know where they are" said Sumomo as she walked up. Kakashi could see that her eyes were blood shot from all the crying she had been doing and she was also very pale.

"Where?" asked Kakashi.

"Gijar Canyon, that's what I heard them say to each other as they left. And I...I told Naruto as well. He's gone after them to save Hinata" said Sumomo.

'Blast, I really need to have a talk with him about running off half cocked in situations like these' thinks Kakashi. "Thank you, I'll find them and bring those men to justice" said Kakashi as he turns around and races towards the gate. There wasn't much time and he had to find Naruto before Naruto found trouble.

(Naruto)

After about twenty minutes, Naruto found that he was seriously running on empty. His vision was becoming more distorted and he knew his speed was drastically slowing down. Even though he still wanted to make some additional distance between them and the canyon, he knew he needed to rest now.

Noticing a small, open spot off to his right, Naruto adjusted his course and came to a stop. There was a hill before him which curved inward; forming a small space of covering that they could use. Naruto placed Hinata gently down on the ground, then backed away as he made a hand sign.

Despite his very low chakra levels at the moment, Naruto believed he could manage a few more seeing as he didn't want to leave Hinata. After a moment, three clones appeared before him. Naruto then collapsed onto his butt and began to breath heavily for a moment before speaking up.

"OK guys, I have some chores for you to do. You on the left, go find some fire wood. You in the middle, go find some rabbits or something to eat. And you on the right, take the canteen in my pack and find some water to fill it with" said Naruto as he took of his pack and pulled out the canteen and handed it to the clone to his right.

The clones nodded before taking off to complete their task. Once they were gone, Naruto allowed himself to fall back onto the ground. As he rested his body and gazed into the night sky, he gave himself a smile for his success and then said "Hey Hinata, are you OK?"

There was no reply from her which worried Naruto. As he sat up again, he suddenly realized that Hinata hadn't said anything to him at all. She had neither spoken or even moved in any way since the rescue. He crawled over to her seeing as his feet felt like mush now.

"Hinata? Hey Hinata, are you OK? Come on Hinata, this isn't funny" says Naruto as he gets to her and gives her a light shake. Though her eyes are opened, she doesn't respond which leads to Naruto shaking her more roughly.

"Dammit, what's wrong Hinata?" shouts Naruto, fear building up over the possibility that the Kumo had done something horrible to her. And then, as the moon comes out from hiding behind a cloud, Naruto is finally able to see the submission seal on her forehead.

Naruto quickly grabs it and pulls it off while saying "I wasn't even paying attention to you. I'm sorry Hinata."

Once the seal was off her, Hinata's eyes come back into focus as she blinks in surprise at seeing Naruto. As Naruto helps her to sit up, she ask "Naruto? Is it really you? Wait, where are we and were are he Kumo nin?"

"Yeah, it's really me. And we're in the wilderness right now, so to speak. And don't worry about the Kumo. Your safe now" said Naruto as he places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Hinata simply smiles happily as she tears up and nods.

(Gijar Canyon)

The damaged ground is suddenly disturbed as a new arrival makes contact with the cracked ground. The Kumo Jonin Hanbano looks around the sight before him and sees his students laying on the ground a few feet away. As he approaches them, he could tell that one was clearly dead, seeing as he was missing half of his face. As for the other, his right arm was missing and his body was bloody, but he was still alive.

Hanbano walks up and kneels down before the surviving chunin, he opens one eye and says "Sensei, you're here."

No emotion is shown on Hanbano's face as he ask "What happened here? Where's the girl?"

"We arrived...and I...used 5...Pillars to see if you where already here. Then...a mist formed over the area as a...result. And then a...Makian attacked us" said the chunin.

Hanbano looked around and used his sensory abilities to scan the area. His eyes lowered and darkened as he said "There was NO Makian. I sense...shadow clones of Konoha."

"Then it...was a trick after all. That explains...the inside of the beast. That kid...shape..." said the chunin weakly.

'Kid?' thinks Hanbano as he stands then looks down at his surviving pupil.

"Sensei, please...I need help."

Hanbano responds by sending a lighting bolt blasting from his hand into his pupils chest, blowing a big hole into him. "More than I am willing to give, or so it would seem" says Hanbano as he uses his sensory abilities again.

After a moment, he opens his eyes and thinks 'Genin, so ignorant.' He then races forward; heading in the direction of the two beings nearby.

(Naruto)

Naruto reached out and made a slight adjustment to a log on the camp fire to help strengthen the flame. He then examined the rabbits that were cooking on a stick and saw that they were close to being ready. He then looked over at Hinata, who was sitting to his right, and said "It'll be another three minutes and then...chow time."

Hinata smiles at him, though she didn't know how to bring up an obvious problem here. So, she just sat there, staying quiet like she had been taught to do growing up. After the three minutes had passed, Naruto pulled one of the stick poked rabbits free from the fire and gave it a final once over before handing it to Hinata and said "Here ya go. Bonn apatite."

Hinata takes the food from Naruto, saying "Thank you, Naruto" while doing so. As Naruto pulled the second rabbit from the fire, Hinata simply looked at her food and had to admit to herself that she didn't know what to do now.

As Naruto took a bite from his rabbit, he looked over and saw Hinata just staring at her's, which confused him. An idea came to him; leading him to say "Hinata, I know this isn't what you're use to and I'm sorry I can't give you better food to eat. But I promise you that it will taste good."

Hinata quickly looks at Naruto, her cheeks red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry Naruto. I don't mean to be rude. But...um...the truth is...I don't know how to eat it."

Naruto blinks a few times before he burst out laughing, which makes Hinata even more confused. Noticing this through his laugh, Naruto calms himself, then says "I'm sorry, Hinata. I didn't realize that you wouldn't know how to eat like this. I forgot you're use to eating with utensils and such."

Hinata smiles, relieved to see Naruto wasn't offended by her not eating. "OK, just watch me closely, Hinata. I know this is a little rough, but it's better than being hungry."

Naruto then slowly bites into the hide and rips another chunk of meat off, sucks inward to get it fully into his mouth, chews and then swallows the piece. He then looks at Hinata who, in turn, looks at her rabbit again. Then after a moment of hesitation, Hinata bites down on the rabbit and puts as much strength into her bite as she rips a small chunk from the rabbit. Sucking the piece in, she also chews and swallows.

"Yeah, now you're getting it. So, does it taste good?" asked Naruto.

"It's a little different from what I'm use to, but it still taste pretty good" says Hinata before taking another bite.

The rest of the meal goes by quietly for them. After they were done, Naruto hands Hinata the canteen of water to Hinata so she can have a drink. He then drinks from it himself and blushes as he hears Ino's voice in his head saying "Indirect kissing, smooch smooch."

'Damn, I hate that girl. Even when she isn't around, she can find away to annoy me...and Shikamaru too' thinks Naruto. He then looks at Hinata and says "We better get some sleep. We'll make for the Senai border in the morning. Um...are you OK with sleeping on the ground?"

Hinata nods, then says "I'll be fine. Besides, we really don't have much choice but to sleep on the ground. Thank you for your concern, though."

Naruto nods as he gets up. He takes his back pack and places it beside Hinata so she can use it as a make shift pillow. He then takes off his vest and covers Hinata with it like a blanket as best he can. As he walks back over to his spot, he hears Hinata say "Naruto?"

"Yeah, Hinata?" asked Naruto.

"Thank you for saving me" said Hinata before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Naruto smiles and thinks 'Anytime, Hinata.' He then creates a shadow clone and instructs it to act as a look out while he gets some sleep as well. It doesn't take long before Naruto himself was fast asleep.

'Found you, kid. Enjoy your sleep while you can. Because it will be the last night you will ever have in this life' thinks the Kumo Jonin as he looks at the camp from his vantage point a few yards away.

_Next time: A desperate attack, the girl's courage, and the Mazuko's roar..._

**N.O. Info**

(Ebisu) We now begin our final look into the history of Shumoa and the origin of the Hidden Villages.

(Konohamaru) Even though we've mostly just focused on our very own Senai region :)

(Ebisu) Um...yes, anyways. The battle between Hashirama and Madara at the Valley of the End was the most intense battle to have ever happened within our lands history, or so the legend goes. Between the power of Wood style and the Mangekyou Sharingan, the earth was said to have shaken violently.

The battle itself was said to have lasted nearly half a day, with neither side asking or giving any quarter in the fight. And finally, it looked like once again that Hashirama would come out as the victor in this fight. However, Madara hadn't spent the last seven years in exile with out learning a thing or two.

And unfortunately for the world, what he had learned would forever have a lasting effect on all of us. During his seven years of exile, Madara had done extensive research into the legend of the Rikudo Senin; or Sage of the Six Paths as he was also known as.

It was said that in his research, he was even able to find the long lost shrine in which the Sage's lover had hidden away all that had been his, which had been left for the one who would one day appear to succeed the Sage as a new leader to bring this world into a new era of peace and prosperity.

Within this shrine, Madara found the secrets of the Rikudo Senin and learned many things; including the secret behind the creation of the Seal of Makai. And it was here, just when Madara was about to lose again to Hashirama, that Madara would perform the act that would forever invoke him as a monster in the eyes of all people who lived here in Shumoa.

Using the forbidden jutsu, Madara shattered the Seal of Makai; once again creating a path for which the demons of the Makai Realm could use to enter and invade our world; a path that the Sage had created in order to protect us. And Madara did this just so he could win.

Everyone present couldn't believe he would go this far, just to gain a victory. But the worse was still to come. What Madara did next was truly beyond any form of forgiveness. Once the path had been restored, Madara used a forbidden summoning jutsu to call forth a beast that was feared by all; a Biju.

(Konohamaru) What's a Biju?

(Ebisu) A Biju is the term used to name a Demon God; a ruler of the Makai Realm. According to the legend of Makai, there are Nine Biju total. And the Biju that was summoned was Kyubi; who took on the form of a Nine Tailed Fox of massive size. Madara was able to summon in into our world by using the power of hid Mangekyou Sharingan, which many believe has it's origins in the Makai world, and used the power of the MS to take control of the Kyubi's mind.

At this point, both the Uchiha and the other members of the Senju present at the Valley jumped into the fight to aid Hashirama. What happened next is unknown to history. But in the end, the First Hokage used all the power he had and placed it into one final attack against Madara and the Kyubi.

The sheer power of the attack broke the Kyubi free from Madara's control and Hashirama wasted no time forcing the Kyubi back into the opened gate to the Makai Realm. Though the Biju was mad that it had been beaten by a human, it was absolutely furious that it had been controlled by one. So, as it was being pushed back into it's world, it used one of its tails to capture Madara, who had been weakened in the fight as well, and took him with it back into the land of demons.

(Konohamaru) But how was Madara able to control the Kyubi? And why take him into the Makai Realm?

(Ebisu) Again, it's because of the rumor about the Sharingan having a connection to the Makai. I would ask an Uchiha about this, but that's kind of hard right now; what with their current situation and all. Plus, a Biju (like all Makai) has it's power lessened to some degree in our world than in theirs and I'm not sure why at the moment. And as for taking Madara with it? Well, I think the Kyubi wanted to make him suffer for his bravado in summoning it and controlling it.

Once the beast had been sent back, the gate closed on its own. But the damage had been done. With the seal having been destroyed and there being no one alive who could re-cast it, demons could now return to terrorize our world once again. And...lord Hashirama had paid a price as well.

As a result of the battle, he had lost the power to use his Wood style jutsu and his health was now bad. So, he resigned his position as Hokage and passed it onto his younger brother, Tobirama, who would become the second Hokage.

After another two years, Hashirama would leave Konoha to undertake a journey of healing and enlightenment, seeing as he knew he hadn't much longer to live. He would be gone for five years and when he returned, it was as a corpse that would be given a proper burial in the secret Senju burial site.

(Konohamaru) Wow, that's unreal. So, what about the other villages?

(Ebisu) After our Konoha was founded, the other four regions also decided to create their own Hidden Village system so as to not be left behind or outdone by us. Once the five lands each had a hidden village, the Grand Daimyo decreed that so long as it didn't have an affect on his Jezai capital region or it didn't have a debilitating effect on Shumoa, then the villages could act in any fashion they so chose with one another.

And in time, conflict was sure to come; and that would be the three ninja wars we have currently had.

The first was between Senai, Fumala, and Keishu. It was started when Keishu's feudal lord decided he wanted to expand his territory and claim some of Fumala as his own. And seeing as there was tension between Fumala and Senai at the time, an opportunity was found there. As such, Keishu's Hidden Village performed a secret assassination on a relative of both Fumala and Senai's lords while leaving evidence that it was done by the other; hence starting the first war.

If not for the discover made by our own third Hokage, who was a Chunin at the time, things would have been long and bloody indeed for us and Fumala. Once the truth was revealed and the first war ended, Keishu was made to pay a heavy price for what had been done, though what that price was is not recorded in the history books.

The second war was between Duno and Shauti and it began when a Shauti nin accidentally killed the daughter of Duno's feudal lord. Things escalated between the two when Kiri nin set fire to Shauti's capital in retaliation. The resulting war got so violent that Jezai had to get involved and brought it to an end themselves. It was also during this time that the legend of the three Sanin came into play, but that is a story for another time.

And as for the final war? It was between Senai and Keishu and it was started when a daughter of Senai's feudal lord was kidnapped...or so it was believed. Though it was later revealed she ran away to be with her true love, who just happened to be the son of Keishu's lord. But this truth wouldn't be revealed until the war was in its fifth year.

And it was also during this war that the Kumo began to go about their plan to improve their village by stealing from the other villages. One such incident involved the kidnapping of a young ten year old girl from our village. A girl who was said to be the last surviving member of the Uzu.

And worse was the fact that even our best tracking teams couldn't find her. But she was saved by a boy from a distant land and brought back to us. Not that it mattered, seeing as when he left to continue his journey, she would run away to join him seeing as she had fallen in love with him.

(Konohamaru) I feel that there should be more to say, but I guess this will do for now. Hey, what about the Biju and Makai Realm?

(Ebisu) Well, on the next segment of N.O. We'll be talking about just that, so don't miss it.


	9. 19 Jinchurriki 2

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.19: Jinchurriki 2 (to obtain control for her)**

The early morning mist cover the canyon as Kakashi came to a landing next to the dead bodies of the two Kumo chunin. 'What the hell happened here?' wonder Kakashi as he knelt down and examined the closer of the two Kumo.

The face of this one was half missing and his whole body was bloody and burnt. He then went over and examined the other Kumo and found serious injuries along with a hole blown into his chest. As Kakashi got up, he took a moment to think about this.

'From the looks of it, it seems like they were both injured by a powerful explosion. If I had to take a guess, it would seem that it was caused by Naruto's various shadow clone jutsu's. However, this one has an added injury to his chest. And this one wasn't caused by Naruto. It looks like it was some lightning style jutsu.'

The thought of this worried Kakashi. The injury on the Kumo he was standing by must have been caused by a Jonin ranked nin. Possibly another Kumo nin. And if that's true, then what about Naruto and Lady Hinata?

Not liking where this train of thought was going, Kakashi quickly begins scanning the area, hoping to find some clue as to which direction they all might have gone in...and hoping Naruto hadn't gotten himself into any trouble, only stopping long enough to destroy both bodies to hide the evidence of what happened here from any Kumo that could come along at a later date.

(with Naruto)

The cool morning air was the first thing Naruto felt as his mind drifted back into consciousness. As he opened his eyes, he noticed a thin fog was permeating the air around him. He sat up and rubbed the grogginess from his eyes as he looked over at Hinata.

Despite the fact that this was nothing like what she was use to for her sleeping arrangement, she looked like she was sleeping rather well. He smiled at seeing this and was happy to know that she was still safe. He then looked over at his clone to ask for a report over what it had seen and not seen over the night.

"So, is everything...?...WHAT THE HELL?" shouts Naruto when he sees his clone, laying (or rather, hanging) from a nearby tree branch and was obviously sound asleep.

Naruto clenched a fist hard as several veins popped out from his four head and he growled out "I ask you to do one simple thing and this is what I get? Why you rotten, little...DIE!"

In his anger, Naruto grabs a kunai from out of his vest and sends it flying right at the clone; hitting it right between the eyes. The clone jerks, falls from from the tree, and crashes hard into the ground before bursting like a bubble of ink.

Hinata's eyes shoot open and she blinks several times before sitting up and looking at Naruto. "hmm, what's going on?" asked Hinata as she rubbed her eyes.

"Nothing to worry about. I was just dealing with a less than useful clone. Although, in hindsight, the method I used wasn't exactly the right one" sheepishly said Naruto as he rubbed his forehead along a new reddish bruise he was now sporting.

"Are you OK?" asked Hinata, noticing his little bump-a-rubbing.

"Yeah, this will fade within the hour. I've found that any injury, no matter how serious, that is done to my clones will manifest onto me when the clone is dispersed in the form of a reddish bruise" explained Naruto.

"Oh, I see" said Hinata.

"Anyways, ready to get going? We have several hours of walking to go through in order to get to Wel" asked Naruto as he held a hand out to Hinata.

Hinata takes his hand, allowing Naruto to help her up. Once she was standing again, she brushes the grass and twigs off her kimono, then says "Yes, I'm ready to go. Are you feeling OK though? After light night, I..."

Naruto smiles as he says "No worries here, I'm fine. Though I will admit that just one night of sleep wasn't enough to get me back to full strength, I'm good enough to walk all the way to Shenlong if need be."

'Let's just hope we don't run into any trouble. In my current state, I won't be much use in the defense department if we run into trouble' mentally adds Naruto.

He holds out his hand again and as Hinata goes to take it, he thinks 'No worries though. I took care of those Kumo nin back there. There's no need to worry about any...'

"Going somewhere?"

'Aw crap' thinks Naruto as both he and Hinata tense up, then look up into a nearby tree from which the voice had come from.

"So, you're the little brat that actually outsmarted my subordinates last night? How very...disappointing" said the man.

Hinata recognized the clothes the man was wearing as being similar to the ones worn by the two men who had taken her from Hoja. "He's...he's a...Kumo" she said in a shaky and frightened voice.

Naruto also recognized this man as a Kumo as well. But, unlike Hinata, Naruto was also able to understand something Hinata couldn't. And that was the fact they they were facing a Jonin ranked nin; an elite shinobi of Kumo. And this scared him greatly.

Hanbano saw the fear in his eyes and said "I see you know what I am. Just like I can tell you know what is going to happen here should you make the wrong choice."

"And what choice would that be?" asked Naruto, trying his best to keep his fear from controlling him.

"This is your choice. Give me the girl and I will allow you to leave here uninjured and alive. Refuse me and...well, I'll still take her and you shall die. Simple as that, kid" said Hanbano.

There was no way that he would agree that. But still, this did make Naruto wonder about something important in what he had been told. "What about your friends? I did take them out to save Hinata to begin with. So why allow me to live IF I actually do agree with this arrangement?"

"The fact they were defeated by a Genin is an insult to me and a disgrace to our village. Avenging them would be a waste of time for me" stated Hanbano in a matter of fact way.

'He...that jerk. How can he just disrespect his own fellow ninja like that?' thought Naruto as he growled inwardly. He was brought back to reality when he felt Hinata's hold on his hand tighten. He gives her a glance an an encouraging smile as he squeezes her hand back in reassurance.

"So, what is your answer? Or, do I even have to ask?" asked Hanbano.

Naruto's response is to say "Hinata, get behind that tree and let me handle this. When you see your chance, start running as fast as you can to your left." He then lets go of her hand and takes a few steps forward before asking "How's that for an answer?" at Hanbano.

"I expected no less from a fool of a Konoha shinobi" said Hanbano.

'Naruto' thinks Hinata as she sees the Kumo nin jump down from the tree and begin to approach him. She wanted to believe in Naruto, but she knew that this was going to be an impossible battle for him. That he would die in trying to save her. And she couldn't just let that happen.

"If I go with you, you promise to let him live?" asked Hinata suddenly.

"Hinata, no..." says Naruto as he turns enough to look at her.

"If you agree, then yes" said Hanbano as he came to a stop.

Naruto fully turns around and grasp hold onto Hinata's shoulders and says "Hinata, don't do this. Just do as I say and everything will be fine."

She wanted to believe him, but she could hear the doubt in his voice; the uncertainty. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes at knowing that she was about to turn her back on him. But if it meant that he would live, then she could live with this pain.

"Naruto, thank you for everything you've done for me and...I'm sorry" said Hinata before she suddenly rushed forward and ramming into Naruto. The sudden motion caused him to stumble back and fall onto the ground.

Then, in a flash, she found herself several feet further away from him with Hanbano's standing beside her. As Naruto picks himself up, he says "Hinata? Get away from her, Kumo."

Hinata looks down sadly, then says "I'm ready to go, sir."

"Very well. But first..." said Hanbano before making a rapid series of hand signs, then pressing his index and middle fingers against the back on Hinata's neck.

The young girl collapses to her knees, finding her body below the neck numb and unresponsive. "Wha...what's going on?" she asked, her voice shaky again.

"Nothing you need to worry about, little girl. We'll be leaving in a few moments. But first, I have one little detail to take care of" said Hanbano as he looked at her, then at Naruto.

"Hinata! Let her go you..." said Naruto as he starts to rush forward. But in a flash of light, he finds Hanbano standing before him and an open palm pressed against his stomach. Time seemed to stop for both Naruto and Hinata as Hanbano says one simple thing.

"Lightning style: Surge Pulse."

And then, streams of lightning burst outward as residual energy as Naruto is sent flying back hard and slamming hard into a tree; his shirt sporting a smoldering new hole around a deeply reddening stomach. As he slides down onto the ground, the sound of Hinata's scream fills the area.

"NNNOOO, NARUTO..."

Hanbano turns around and looks at her, saying "We're leaving now."

"Why? I thought you were going to let him go. Why'd did you kill him?" cries Hinata as tears pour down her face.

"Did I lie? What I said before was true; about him killing my men meaning nothing to me, that is. However, the fact a lowly genin could kill two well trained chunin of the Kumo is a great insult for our village. At least I made his death quick and MOSTLY painless. Now, we are leaving" said Hanbano.

He grabs Hinata by her arm and drags her back to her feet; breaking the paralysis jutsu in the process. Hinata tries to free herself, but receives a stong blow to her face that knocks her onto the ground with a bruised and bloody cheek.

"I won't kill you, little girl. But that doesn't mean I won't get a little rough either if that is what it will take to keep you in line. Now once again, we ARE leaving" says Hanbano more sternly as he goes to grab her again.

"Don't touch her."

Both Hanbano and Hinata quickly turn around to see Naruto struggling to get back to his feet, one hand holding his injured stomach, the other bawled into a fist as he looks at Hanbano with a menacing gaze.

"Naruto" says Hinata, relieved to see him still alive.

Hanbano simply looks at Naruto for a second before saying "You're still alive? That's quite unexpected."

"Get away from her. NOW" shouts Naruto in a deep, angry growl.

Hanbano cocks an eyebrow at Naruto's audacity at telling him what to do. But then he smiles just a little and says "Aw, I see now. You, my little mongrel, are a potential. You must be one of those exceptional few that come along once in a generation that have the ability to become truly something special among the shinobi ranked. Like the White Fang of your village, you too may destined for greatness."

"Like I care about any of that. Just get away from Hinata now" shouts Naruto as he charges at the Kumo.

He attempts to use his free hand to punch Hanbano in the face, but Hanbano easily blocks Naruto attack, then grabs Naruto by the wrist and hoist him off the ground. Naruto struggles to free himself, but Hanbano uses his other hand to grab hold of Naruto's neck and squeezes a little.

"It's to bad you'll never get to become the potential you may have been meant to be" said Hanbano before releasing his hold on Naruto's neck, then sends his free hand swing hard into the elbow of the arm Naruto is being held by. Naruto screams in pain as his arm is broken, then he is sent flying back and hitting the ground after Hanbano palms him in the chest.

"Naruto" shouts Hinata as she tries to run towards him, but she is stopped and blown back by a wind spell .

"Don't interfere, little girl" said Hanbano before he steps forward towards Naruto. "I am going to kill you, you know that right? But, I think I'm going to have a little fun and do it slowly. After all, I like to watch the life fade from the eyes of my opponents" said Hanbano as he makes several hand signs.

"Lightning style: 5 Voltage Pillars."

A burst of lightning shoots out of the sky and splits into five segments that surround Naruto; slowly spinning around him as he gets to his feet. "This is the jutsu my idiot companions used back in Gijar Canyon. A foolish way to use it. Now, let me show you how it was meant to be used."

Not wanting to wait to see what comes next, Naruto attempts to rush out and away from the circling pillars; but just as he's about to make it, a wave of lighting shoots out of each pillar, hitting him, and lifting him into the air as the current of electricity keeps a continuous lock on him.

Naruto's body jerks and spasms violently as he screams in pain; the electrical arcs rushing all over his body. "That's right, feel the power; relish it as it rips your body apart" says Hanbano coldly.

"Stop it, please let Naruto go" screams Hinata as she sees Naruto writhe in pain.

"Don't worry, he'll be dead soon enough. Now stay quiet or do you want a taste of this too?" said Hanbano as he increased the power of the pillars.

There was no way she was just going to just let this happened to Naruto, but what could she do? After all, she wasn't a ninja. This was something she hadn't been raised to know, understand, and do. But still, there had to be a way. And then, from the corner of her eye, she saw it laying on the ground a few feet from her. The kunai Naruto had thrown to take out his clone.

Taking another quick glance at Hanbano and seeing that his focus was totally on Naruto. Hinata crawls over and takes the kunai into her hand. She then stands up and aims the kunai before running forward and stabbing the Kumo along the side of his waist.

The Kumo howls in pain as his body jerks badly and the pillar disperse; causing Naruto to fall onto the ground. Hinata was about to make another stabbing attempt on the Kumo, but Hanbano has recovers and sends his fist hard into her face and sending her flying back with blood flying through the air.

Hanbano advances upon her, saying "Damn little bitch, you think you're clever, huh? Well, this is what we do to clever girls." He then fires a quick burst of lightning on her, causing Hinata to scream before passing out from the attack.

"...hinata...no...' Naruto manages to get out as a whisper as he tries to crawl to her, seeing as he couldn't stand under his own power now.

Hanbano quickly turns back to him, saying "She'll live...for now. But not YOU." He then fires off another 5 Voltage Pillars that once again captures Naruto. But this time, it's far more potent than before.

'Damn it, this can't be the end' thinks Naruto as his vision and ability to feel anything starts to fade out. Was this it? Was he going to die here? Would Hinata be taken back to the Kumo to some unforeseen and dark fate? 'aaarrrgggghhh, what can I do' he mentally screams.

"_Is there someone precious to you?"_

'Huh? Wait, is that you, Haku?' thinks Naruto as a memory from the past resurfaces.

"_When something is important to you; when you have someone you want to protect with all your heart, you will obtain a power unlike any other. And even if you don't have a precious person in your life now, I know you will one day. And when that person comes along and the time is needed, you will become strong."_

'Haku, you were right. And I think I have found that person. But still what can I do to...wait, could I use that power?' thinks Naruto as he recalls the battle on the bridge.

Though he didn't understand it back then and still doesn't right now, he knew he needed that power again. So Naruto, using his last ounce of mental strength he had, reaches deep inside himself in the hopes of finding that power again.

And then, Naruto finds himself once again within the midnight lake, the starless sky, and the old dead tree along the edge of the water. The last time he was here, he had been confused by all of this. But this time, he knew what to do. Naruto looks down into the water and says "I'm here. Now, give me power."

He then lifts a foot up as if to take a step, but instead allows himself to fall forward into the water and begins to drift downward. As he sinks deeper, he begins to see a dim light that steadily grows brighter as he approaches it. Soon, his eyes can see the sphere of red light; like a moon, swirling and churning with the power of the Kyubi.

As Naruto gets close, a tendril of energy shoots out and attaches to his stomach. He jerks as he feels the power coursing through him. Several more shoot out and connect with his arms, legs, head, and chest. His eyes begin to glow red as he says as his voice shifts "Now, it's time for me to do some DAMAGE."

Hanbano sensed something shift in the air. As his eyes darted around, he heard a low growl that brought his attention back to Naruto. The young genin's body was beginning to emit a powerful pulses of chakra while his body jerked. The finger nails on his hand began to grow and sharpen, the whisker marks on his face become more wild looking, and his teeth start to become more fang like.

'What the hell...this boy, is he...?' wonders Hanbano before being forced to cover his eyes as Naruto's eyes burst open, instantaneously followed by an explosion of blazing red/orange chakra. Hanbano is sent flying back and only his skill as a Jonin saves him from slamming head first into a tree.

As he looks up, he can see that the five pillars had been destroyed and Naruto was now back on the ground in a hunched over position. Surrounding his body appeared to be an imperfect cloak of chakra; his eyes fully red and blazing with energy. Naruto goes to move, but stops as he looks at his injured arm. Growling angrily, a burst of energy shoots through the arm, and then healing it.

'A...Mazuko mode? Ah, now I understand. This boy is a Jinchurriki. That explains why he survived my previous attack' thinks Hanbano as he jumps away to make some space between them. 'Judging from the look of his eyes, the distorted cloak, and the lack of any tails, he obviously isn't in control of his power yet. And that...will be MY advantage.'

Naruto's glowing red eyes squinted in rage as he let off a low growl. The pressure of his clawed hands caused the ground to start cracking around them. Seeing Hanbano take up a battle stance makes him give off a feral scream before launching himself at the Kumo.

The chakra surrounding his hands become claw like as he takes a swipe at the Kumo. Hanbano jumps clear, then rapidly makes several hand signs as Naruto readjust himself before launching at his target again. "Earth style: Crushing Terra Walls" shouts Hanbano as he slams his hand into the ground.

Immediately, two walls made of dirt and stone burst out of the ground, then slam together against Naruto as he passes between them. Naruto roars in frustration as the two walls attempt to crush him. Making another set of hand signs, Hanbano says "Earth style: Deep Coffin."

More ground erupts around Naruto, completely encasing him in rock and soil. The coffin then sinks back into the earth; leaving only silence in its leave. For just a moment, Hanbano remains still and quiet till he feels a low rumble and shaking coming from beneath him.

'I didn't think that would finish him. But it gives me a few moments to prepare' thinks Hanbano as he makes a new series of hand signs.

As he completes his next attack, his eyes spot the coffin had been at begin to shake. Just as he was about to make his move, the ground beneath him explodes outward instead. "Wha..." shouts Hanbano before he takes a fiery fist to his chin that send him skyward.

As he slams into the ground, his thoughts are 'Damn, that was careless of me. I should have considered the possibility of deception.'

He picks himself up and finds that Naruto has already made a move towards him again. Knowing how dangerous a Jinchurriki can be, he takes to dodging while awaiting a moment to use his jutsu. Though the feral Naruto's attacks are wide and sloppily executed, each successive attack gets more and more accurate.

It's then an idea comes to mind. It might not stop him attacking, but it might cause the boy to pause for a moment and leave him open to attack. Dodging the next attack from Naruto, Hanbano leaps over to the unconscious Hinata and picks her up with his left hand.

He then holds her out before Naruto, who had come to a stop. "So, demon, will you come at me again and risk killing the girl? Do you even still care to save her in your current state? Or...are you even more of a weak monster than I first thought you were?"

Naruto's roar at being called monster had the desired effect that Hanbano wanted. He knew Jinchurriki all shared a similar past in that they were made outcast by their respected villages. Simply just saying something that they would hate would trigger them to attack when they were like this.

Naruto came at Hanbano fast and furiously, leaping into the air and then bringing his chakra clawed and covered hand down at Hanbano. "Fine then, let her be the first to die" shouts Hanbano as he throws Hinata at Naruto in his risky gamble.

As Hinata's unconscious form comes hurdling at him, something is triggered within Naruto's mind. _"Hinata?"_

Within his mind, images of his interactions with Hinata flash through Naruto consciousness; awakening him as his body was slowly being drawn into the moon of Kyubi. Shouting out at the top of his lungs, Naruto fights with all his might and comes to stand atop the moon and finally gaining control of this power.

And then, to Hanbano's surprise, Naruto's chakra cloak disperses as he catch's Hinata in his arms and comes to a landing on the ground. 'He...did he actually gain control?' wonders Hanbano as he looks at Naruto.

Within his mind, Naruto was still connected to the moon of Kyubi, but he was no longer lost within its furious rage. His eyes shift from being fully glowing red to being normal again, except for the red irises and the slit like pupils.

"Hinata...thank you. Because of you, I was able to gain control of this power" says Naruto as he walks over and places her down by a tree. As he brushes a strand of hair on her forehead, he adds "Don't worry, I'll end this quickly."

"What the hell were you thinking? I thought you needed her ali..." Naruto starts to say as he turns around, but his question is interrupted when Hanbano slams his palm into Naruto's chest. He then pushes Naruto away from Hinata, slamming him into another tree before unleashing his jutsu.

"Lightning style: Thunderbolt Dragon."

The blast of lightning chakra, shaped like the head of a dragon, explodes around Naruto, sending blood and shredded clothing flying from the blast. The force of the blast throws Hanbano back at well. As he recovers from the attack, he sees that Hinata hadn't been affected by the attack and there was no sign of the boy.

"You may have gained control of your power, but even that can't won't be enough to save you from that A-ranked jutsu"thinks Hanbano as he goes to collect Hinata.

"You interrupted my question to you" comes Naruto's voice from the smoking core of the blast.

"What? You're still...alive?" asked Hanbano in an astonished voice.

Naruto emerges from the smoke, once again surrounded in the cloak. But, he didn't survive the attack without injury. His right hand and arm, from the tip of his fingers to his shoulder was black and bloody and hanging lifelessly. He had a deep and bloody cut on his forehead and one eye was closed. He was also limping a little.

"I was asking why you did that with Hinata when you need her alive?" shouts Naruto.

Hanbano gets over his surprise, then says "I was taking a chance that you would pause when I tossed her at you. But I didn't expect that to be the catalyst for you gaining control of your power. But no matter, this fight is over. There is no way you can beat me with your current condition."

Naruto bawls his left hand into a fist and he grits his teeth before saying "Don't count me out yet. I swore I would save her and I never go back on my word. No matter what, I will defeat you here and now, or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki."

And then, another Naruto erupts from the ground with his chakra covered right hand striking upwards. Hanbano's eyes go wide as the Naruto he was talking to burst and dissolves into nothingness. Though he tries to defend himself, he isn't fast enough as Naruto sends a lethal slash cutting hard and deep into Hanbano's chest.

_next time: The battle ends, return to Tamatsa, A new wind blows..._

**N.O. Info**

(Sarutobi) Greetings, I am Hiruzen Sarutobi of the Hidden Village of Konoha as well as the third Hokage. Today, we'll be taking a look at the Jinchurriki and their various powers and abilities. We'll begin with talking about what a Jinchurriki actually is.

Now, around 80 years ago, the first Hokage battled the outcast Uchiha named Madara at the Valley of the End. And during this battle, Madara used a forbidden jutsu to break the Seal of Makai; which had been created by the Rikudo Senin to protect our world from the demons that ruled over the Realm of Makai.

Because of this, we now have missions that involve the finding and slaying of demons that have passed into our world again because of this. But, this has also led to dark experimentation's by the various Hidden Villages.

We are unsure of who started it, but around twenty years ago, we saw the second summoning of a Biju into our world. And for those who don't know, a Biju is basically a god level demon that rules over the Makai. And this was only the beginning of the nightmare.

The plan was that once a Biju was summoned, it would be slain. But, before it's body could be consumed by its power after death, a forbidden jutsu would be used to transfer the Biju's power into the body of a chosen vessel; creating a Jinchurriki.

The term Jinchurriki means human sacrifice and are considered to be half demons because they now hold demonic powers within them. And the purpose of this was simply to add power to the Hidden Villages by creating an unstoppable weapon for that village to use through that sacrifice of a single life.

It is currently unknown just how many of the nine Biju have actually been summoned, killed, and had their power transferred into a human host at present, but it is believed that each of the five villages likely has at least one under it's control.

In our case, we have Naruto Uzumaki; Jinchurriki of the Kyubi, here in our village. But his status as a Jinchurriki was not of our choosing. And though I would like to give you more details about this, it will have to wait till some future time.

Now, we'll talk about the various modes that a Jinchurriki has before we say goodbye for today. The first is called the Mazuko mode. In this state, the Jinchurriki surrounds him or herself in a cloak made of pure chakra to acts as a shield to protect them. It also makes their physical attacks stronger. And depending on what Biju's power they have sealed within them, they can manifest anywhere from one to nine tails; the limit being the number of tails their power allows.

Next, we'll talk about Daemon mode. In this mode, the Jinchurriki takes on an appearance that is more bestial than man as they are completely covered in chakra in such a way that makes them look like a demonic Makian beast. And depending on level of power being called upon, a skeleton or shell will manifest to cover the chakra form as well. Controlling this form is very difficult.

The final form's name is unknown at present, but this mode is gained when the Jinchurriki gains absolute control over the power of the Biju. And as such, they can fully manifest and transform into the true for of the fallen Biju. It is also believed that they can open gates to the Makai Realm and even control certain Makian's that are (or were) connected to that Biju when it was still alive.

Well, that's it for this installment of N.O. Next time, we'll have the two lovey young Hyuga sister's, Hinata and Hanabi, stepping in to tell us about the Hyuga clan and it's origins. So don't miss out.


	10. 20 Let the Wind be Your Rebirth

Despite what the next chapter preview says, the NEXT chapter will go back to the real chapter 1 and tell the first ten chapters of N.O. When we actually get to 21 chapters, we'll begin the third arc of this series. Just to let you all know so you won't be confused...

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.20: Let the Wind be Your Rebirth**

Hanbano's sight blurs as he feels the deep gash in his chest bursting with blood. He falls back and hits the ground hard as Naruto comes to a rough landing on his stomach just a few feet away. The real Naruto was also sporting the same injuries his clone had shown off and fails to move after hitting the ground.

'That...brat, he actually...damn him. DAMN HIM' mentally screams Hanbano, mortified that he had actually been trumped by a genin.

Naruto, on the other hand, was having a completely different mental struggle as he found his body heavy and slow to respond to his commands now. That last attack from the Kumo had done more damage than he had let on and if not for him calling upon the power of the Biju, he would most likely be dead now and the Kumo unhurt and leaving with Hinata.

Hanbano manages to roll over and and prop himself up onto all fours, growling and fighting against the abyss as he feels blood pouring from his injured chest. He was no fool; he knew that he was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. But, if he was going to die, he would at least take the kid with him.

As he got onto his wobbly feet, Hanbano brought a hand onto his chest to try to close the wound as much as possible. He focused the last of his chakra into his free hand; building up lightning style chakra to deliver a final attack to kill Naruto.

Naruto could see him stiffly walking towards him and tried to move as well, but his body just refused to follow orders. As Hanbano came to a stop over him; his palm raised high into the sky and a swelling of lightning building in his hand, he looked down at Naruto with such hatred and contempt in his eyes.

"You little bastard, I'm not going to die alone" shouts Hanbano.

Naruto takes a moment to look at the unconscious Hinata and smiles just a little as he thinks 'Hinata, at least you'll survive. I can die happy at least knowing that.'

He closes his eyes and welcome the embrace of death while wondering if he'll see his parent's on the other side as Hanbano thrust his lightning en-wrapped hand striking down at Naruto back. But the attack never makes contact as Naruto hears another and very familiar sound.

He opens his eyes to see Kakashi's Lightning Blade having cut through the Kumo's stomach. Hanbano"s eyes are wide as blood begins to trickle from his mouth. He turns his head to see Kakashi's Sharingan looking back at him.

"You..." says Hanbano as the light fades from his eyes.

"It looks like I made it just in time" says Kakashi as he pulls his hand from out of Hanbano's body.

The Kumo collapses to the ground, dead, and Kakashi quickly moves past him and kneels down beside Naruto. "Took you long enough, sensei..." joked Naruto while smiling a little.

"Sorry about that. You're a surprisingly difficult person to track...despite your bad habit of leaving big messes in your wake I have to clean up" replied Kakashi as he ruffled Naruto's messy blond hair. "Are you OK?"

"Not really, but I think with a little rest and the benefit of demonic healing powers will fix that up before to long. But could you check on Hinata for me? Hanbano struck her a couple of times" asked Naruto.

"No problem" said Kakashi as he gets up and walks over to Hinata.

As he walks, he thinks "Naruto, you finally gained some control over that power. Was it because of this girl?' Kakashi kneels down beside Hinata and checks her over, then looks back at Naruto and says "She's a little banged up and bruised and will be sore when she wakes up. But, she'll be fine otherwise."

Naruto sighs in relief, saying "That's good to know."

"Now, I think we should make some distance with this place and make for Wel so the both of you can rest more comfortably" said Kakashi as he makes a hand sign and creates two shadow clones.

"That's fine with me" says Naruto as one of the clones walks over and picks him up. "Sensei, I'm gonna be zoned out for a while. I'm gonna be focused on using this power to help quicken my healing while I still have access to the power."

Kakashi nods and says "Very well." He then picks up Hinata while the other clones uses a fire jutsu to destroy Hanbano's body before the clone disperses. As the clone that has Naruto comes to stand next to him, Kakashi takes a final look at Naruto and smiles beneath the mask.

'I'm very proud of you, Naruto' thinks Kakashi as he and his clone take off for Wel.

(the following morning)

As consciousness returned to Hinata, it took her mind a moment to register the fact that she was sleeping in a comfortable bed and was covered with a blanket. Fighting back against waking up, she subconsciously shifted her position as she snuggled into the bed, trying to maintain her state of sleep.

And then, an image of Naruto being caught within the 5 Pillars flashed through her mind, causing her thoughts to scream Naruto and leading her to awaken quickly as her eyes shot open. After a second, she sat up as she took in her current surroundings and realized that she was no longer within the wilderness and that there was no sign of Naruto.

'Naruto? What happened, where am I?' she wondered as she looked around the room.

Just then, the door to her room creaked open, drawing her attention immediately to it. For just a second, she was tense at the thought of seeing the ninja from Kumo walk in, but her fears were quickly squashed as she observed a bandaged Naruto enter into her room.

"Hinata, you're awake. Man, that's a relief" said Naruto as his eyes fell onto her. He then turned and stuck his head outside the door and yelled "Hey sensei, old lady, she's awake." Despite her confusion, Hinata couldn't help but giggle when she heard the sound of an older and elderly woman shout something rather rude back over being called an old lady.

Naruto then walked over to her and sat by her bed and asked "How are you feeling, Hinata?"

"I'm fine, but what about you? What happened, lord Naruto?" asked Hinata.

Naruto tensed up for a quick second before saying "Well, after that guy knocked you out, I managed to free myself from his jutsu. But he was still more than I could handle. Luckily for the both of us, Kakashi-sensei showed up and finished him off. We're at the inn in Wel now."

Hinata nods happily, though she feels that he hadn't quite told her everything. But that was fine seeing as knowing that they were safe was enough. Then she realized something. She was wearing a kimono, but not one that would be worn by a clan but rather one worn by those who lived the simple life.

Naruto became confused at seeing her face turn red and asked "Hinata, is something wrong?"

"Um...I'm wearing different clothes. Did you...or Kakashi-sensei...undress me and redress me into these close?" asked Hinata nervously.

Naruto's face goes red from embarrassment at the though of him undressing her and he quickly shook his head and said "No no no, the old lady changed your clothes after we got here. She also checked you over and bandaged up your cuts and bruises."

Hearing that made Hinata sigh in relief. Naruto, for his part, did admit to himself that he had been curious about seeing her body. Like most boys his age, he was now at the age where wanting to see the female form was natural. However, he had learned the hard way that gazing upon a girl in the nude who WASN'T his wife was life threatening.

He was lucky Ino was the forgiving type and he only suffered a twelve hour long headache from her families jutsu style as punishment and didn't need to be told twice that it would be much worse next time he peeked at her while she was bathing. Though in his defense, he hadn't planned on it. He had just been walking along and had seen her an the natural male curiosity took over.

The door opens again and the old man walks in and shoos Naruto out so she can check Hinata over to make sure she was fine. Once the door was closed, Naruto decides to walk down the hallway and in doing so, passes by Kakashi.

"So, did you tell her what happened?" asked Kakashi, already knowing the answer.

Naruto stops and says "I told her enough. That you arrived and saved us. I...I could never tell her about me, the real me I mean."

Kakashi simply closes his eye and nods saying "Right."

Naruto then turns to look at him and ask "So, what's the plan now?"

"We'll go ahead and stay here for today. Then tomorrow, assuming Hinata's ready, we'll be leaving for Tamatsa" said Kakashi.

"Why are we going back there? Hinata doesn't belong to them anymore. They sold her and she's free to do and live how she likes" said Naruto.

"True, but don't forget we have to return to receive the Hyuga lords message to deliver to the Hokage. Besides, given the situation and what happened with Nakamuji, we have to return Hinata to her father and see what he plans on doing with her" said Kakashi.

Though he wanted to argue about this, Naruto simply sighs and nods before saying "Fine, but there is no way I'm gonna leave her there with those people again. Hinata deserves to have a good and happy life and I doubt her life was either good or happy back then."

Before Kakashi could respond, the door to Hinata's room opens and the old lady emerges. She informs them of Hinata's condition and tells them that she'll go cook them something, seeing as it was lunch time anyways. After she left them, both Naruto and Kakashi enter into Hinata's room to tell her about what was going to happen now.

(three days later)

The journey back to Tamatsa went by quickly for the three of them and during the trip, Naruto took the time to teach Hinata as much as he could about surviving in the wilderness. But soon, the visage of Mt. Tama came into view and soon after, the walls of Tamatsa as well. It was mid-day of the third day that they finally arrived at the gates.

"You there. State your business here" came the voice of the gate guard from atop the wall.

"We are the shinobi of Konoha, here to report to Lord Hyuga as ordered" replied Kakashi.

"We've been expecting you. Just a moment" said the guard as he disappeared from sight.

A few moments later, the gates opened and allowed the three of them to pass. As they walked through the town, they all took notice of the stairs that Hinata was getting and it was obvious that no one was expecting to see her again. After the ten minute walk, they arrived outside the golden gates of the Hyuga compound and Kakashi rang the gong to signal their arrival.

To their surprise, Ko appeared from atop the wall and look down at them. But his eyes lowered into a surprised scowl at seeing Hinata before asking "Why is lady Hinata here?"

"There was an incident back in Rinoa. And I'll be happy to talk about it...once we're before lord Hyuga that is" said Kakashi.

Ko nods before giving the signal to open the gate. He joins them and escorts them to the audience chamber, then leaves them to go and fetch lord Hiashi. Kakashi takes a moment to look to his left at Naruto and gives him the look to remind him of remaining quiet unless questioned.

After a few minutes more of waiting, Ko reenters the room and takes up a position behind Hinata, which makes Naruto tense up with worry. Both Hiashi and Neji enter through another door and take their seats before the Kono nin. Naruto wonders why Hanabi isn't with them and hopes her visiting him before hadn't been discovered and she punished for it is some way.

"Before I hand you the message to deliver to your Hokage, I will both ask and wish to know why you have brought HER back here" said Hiashi.

Kakashi nods before saying "As you know, we delivered her as requested. However, rather than marry her, Nakamuji instead sold her to Kumo from Shauti. However, they betrayed Nakamuji and gave him his death in the form of a bomb instead. Seeing as I had gone back to retrieve my student, the Nakamuji families aid asked me to get revenge for their slain lord, which I did. After that, we decided to bring lady Hinata back, given the circumstances and all."

"I see. Well, bringing her back was a pointless exercise on your part; I'm afraid to say. Lord Hoja paid for her in full, so he could do to her as he pleased. She is no longer a Hyuga nor does she have a place here anymore. What happens to her now is of no concern to me. Shinobi of Konoha, you may do with her as you please. Take her with you, give her to the Kumo as the Nakamuji did, even dump her into a gutter. It makes no difference to me in the least now" replied Hiashi.

Hinata looked down sadly, fighting back the tears she knew were wanting to fall. Naruto, on the other hand, simply clenched his fist and gritted his teeth as he fought back his desire to explode and yell at Hiashi about his attitude towards his daughter.

"Now, let's move on to the real business here. After all, you two must be tired and wishing to return home soon. As I said before during your first trip, I have another re..." Hiashi starts to say before a knock his heard on the guest door, followed by a lower ranked Hyuga walking in.

"We are in conference right now. How dare you interrupt us now" shouts Neji at the newly arrived man.

"Sorry, lord Neji. But mayor Vizel has arrived and said he needed lord Hiashi's signature. I told him that you were speaking with guest, but he refused to wait till you were done."

Hiashi shakes his head and says "That man, he needs to learn about patients. Fine, hand me the paper then."

As the Hyuga does so, Hiashi looks to Neji and says "Remind me later to call Vizel here later to have a talk with him about his lack of patience." Neji nods in response.

As Hiashi signs his name down on the paper, Kakashi doesn't fail to take notice of the sudden shift in Hinata's eyes as she looks at her father. Once the paper was signed, the Hyuga bows then leaves the room.

"I apologize for that. Now, as I was saying before, here is the letter to your leader with several other request we have for him and for your village" said Hiashi as Ko walks forward, takes the letter, and hands it to Kakashi.

"Would it be to much trouble for me to ask what these request are, lord Hyuga?" asked Kakashi.

"You may ask your Hokage when he reads them. Now, if there is nothing else, you are free to go" said Hiashi as he and Neji stand and turn to leave.

"Lord Hyuga, may I ask a question of you?" asked Naruto suddenly as he stands up. Kakashi and Hinata also stand, both confused and worried by Naruto's request. Ko stiffens a little as Hiashi stops and looks back at Naruto.

"Make it quick, boy."

Naruto looks Hiashi right in the eye and simply ask "Why are you so cold to Hinata, to your own daughter? Doesn't she mean anything to you? Do you really not care what happens to her? Please lord Hiashi, tell me why?" Naruto goes quiet for just a second, then shouts out "She's you daughter, damn it. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Hiashi's face changes for just a second; almost become softer before returning to its usual expressionless look before Hiashi responds to Naruto's words.

"She isn't my daughter...not anymore."

And with that, Hiashi and Neji leave the room, leaving Naruto standing there with a stunned look upon his face. He feels Kakashi's hand touch his shoulder and looks over to his sensei who says "Come on, it's time for us to head home."

Ko escorts them and Hinata back outside the Hyuga compound and to the main gate of Tamatsa. Once they had left the mining town behind, Naruto looks at Kakashi and says "Sorry sensei, you must be angry with me for that back there. But I...I needed to say it, ask it."

Kakashi looks at him and says "Don't worry about it, Naruto. Truth be told, I wanted to ask the same thing myself. Just...let's try to not make a habit out of it, OK."

Naruto smiles a little as he nods. Then Kakashi looks at Hinata, who was obviously lost in thought herself and decides to now ask her the question he wanted to ask her.

"Lady Hinata, I noticed the look in your eyes before when your father was signing his name to that document. Is it alright if I ask what caught your attention?"

Hinata quickly looks at Kakashi and ask "You noticed that?" Kakashi nods as Naruto looks at her as well.

"This is gonna sound silly, but...well, you see. When father was signing his name, he did it with his right hand" said Hinata.

"Yeah, does that mean anything?" asked Naruto.

"Maybe it's just my imagination. But, I always thought my father was left handed" replied Hinata.

"Are you sure?" asked Kakashi.

"I don't know. I only saw my father writing once before, when I was three and my mother was still alive. So, my memories could be wrong. But I could have sworn father was left handed. And, before mother's death, I remember him being a kinder person too" said Hinata.

"Maybe he just writes with both?" said Naruto.

"Maybe..." replied Hinata.

Kakashi wasn't so sure about that. Truth was, this was indeed an odd discovery. And add to that pause in Hiashi's words when he said that he had no daughter and not anymore was also curious. The a question came into Kakashi's mind.

Hiashi had a twin brother who as supposedly killed when Kumo tried to kidnap Hinata when she was young. Was he also left handed or right? Could there be more going on within the Hyuga clan that wasn't known now? This was something that might require some investigation from Konoha over.

After another hour of walking, the three travelers came to a stop atop a large hill that had a pretty good view of the surrounding countryside for anyone who took the time to look over and see. "OK you two, take a rest break while I continue heading back to Konoha" said Kakashi.

"You're not leaving us here, are you, sensei?" asked Naruto.

"Of course not, I'll be back within the hour or so. But you know the rules, Naruto. We must receive permission from lord Hokage before bringing an outsider into the village. And seeing as leaving her alone would be rude, you will stay here with her. I can also make the delivery of lord Hyuga's new request as well" said Kakashi.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that detail. Well, don't take to long getting back" said Naruto. Kakashi nods before leaving them on the hill.

Naruto pulls his pack off and pulls out some food while asking "Hinata, ready for some lunch?"

Hinata nods and says "OK, thank you Naruto."

Naruto was glad that they restocked on supplies before leaving Shenlong earlier that morning. It didn't take long for him to cook their lunch and Hinata helped out as a way to see if she had indeed learned anything about this stuff from Naruto during the last three days.

Once they had finished, they simply sat there in silence for the most part. Soon, Naruto took notice of dark clouds in the distance and said "Hope Kakashi-sensei hurries back. I think we might have a storm coming in."

Hinata only half hears him as she's lost in thought and it's only the sudden feel of a nice breeze beginning to blow around them that brings her back to full reality and deciding to do it after all.

"Naruto, can I borrow one of those bladed weapons of your for a moment?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean my kunai? Sure, but why do you want one?" asked Naruto.

"You'll see" said Hinata.

Though still confused, Naruto pulls a kunai out and hands it to her. He watches as Hinata gets up and walks a little closer to the edge of the hill; her hair now blowing wild and freely as the mildly strong wind blows through it.

"This breeze...feels so good" says Hinata as she gazes across the massive expanse of land that was stretched out before her.

Naruto nods and says "Yeah, it really does feel nice."

Then, to Naruto's surprise, Hinata takes her free hand and grabs onto her long hair and bunches it together as much as she could. And then, she takes to kunai and cuts into her hair; sawing off as much as she could.

"Hinata? What the heck are you doing?" asked Naruto.

Hinata looks back at him while holding her cut off hair in hand and smiles as she says "It's a tradition with the Hyuga to have long hair; both men and women alike. Seeing as I am no longer a Hyuga, this is my way of fully breaking free of their oppressive chains and become my own person."

Then, as another stronger breeze passes by and Hinata releases her hold on her hair and allows it to be blown away with the wind. She then watches her discarded hair drift off while saying...

"And with this wind of new beginnings, I have been reborn to become whatever it is I choose to be."

Naruto looks at her for a second; dumbstruck and in awe before shaking his head and thinking 'I'm never gonna understand how the mind of a girl works. But still, I think I can live with that fact.'

"Hey Hinata, need some help finishing up with your hair or do you like it as is?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I could probably take a moment to deal with the split ends. But I don't have a mirror to help..." Hinata starts to say till Naruto creates to Shadow Clones, has them take up positions to either side of Hinata, then Shadow Shape into as large a mirror as each one can.

"You were saying?" asked Naruto.

Hinata blushes before looking into the twin mirrors and begins to further work on her hair. Naruto also helps her deal with the back's hard to reach spots. About an hour and a half later, Kakashi finally returns and says "Sorry for taking so long. So are we...did I miss something?"

Naruto and Hinata look at him from were they were sitting and Naruto ask "What do you mean?"

"Lady Hinata's hair...it's practically gone" said Kakashi.

"Oh that, she just wanted to have a fresh start with her life. Seems long hair is a norm for the Hyuga clan" said Naruto.

Hinata runs her fingers through her short cut hair and adds "I will let it grow back out in time. But for now, this will be my symbol of having been freed from being a Hyuga."

Kakashi nods, then says "Well, we better get going. That storm could arrive at any time and I'd rather we all be back in the village by then."

"So Hinata can come to live in Konoha?" asked Naruto.

"For now. But it will depend on her as to just how long she can stay" replied Kakashi.

"What do you mean?" asked Hinata.

"Lord Hokage will explain it all himself when we arrive as he wants to speak with you" said Kakashi as he approaches Hinata. "Lady Hinata, until we are inside the village, I'll have to place you under a sleep inducing jutsu. This is a security measure for the village seeing as you aren't an actual member yet nor a shinobi of Konoha."

Hinata nods and says "I understand and I'm ready."

Kakashi makes the hand sign, then places a finger to Hinata's forehead. Her eyes roll back into her head as she looses consciousness and Naruto catches her from falling and takes her into his arms. "Ready to go, Naruto?" asked Kakashi.

"Yeah, let's go home" said Naruto as they set out quickly to beat the storm.

They made fast time as they rushed through the opened land and soon were moving quickly through the forested area. Soon, they came to a stop before two rather large trees that had unusual half arched branches along the edges that were away from the other.

Kakashi took a quick look around, then used a barrier/life detector jutsu to scan the surrounding area to make sure they were in the clear. The sound of thunder and the light feeling of rain drops could be felt as he released the jutsu and made another hand sign before saying "Hidden Gate of Leaves, open."

He places his hand on the ground, creating a creaking noise from the two trees as they slowly began to move towards each other. They made a slight adjustment to their course and slid past each other and kept moving till the half arch branches were just touching each other to form a perfect arch.

"No matter how many times I see this, it still looks really cool" commented Naruto as the regular back ground from behind the trees began to shimmer like water.

Both Naruto and Kakashi quickly moved through the shimmering, water like substance within the arch and passed through the phased space into the hidden other side. Kakashi then makes another hand sign and once again places his hand on the ground; reversing the jutsu.

Once the trees had returned to their normal position, Kakashi places a hand on Hinata's forehead and releases the sleep jutsu. Hinata's eyes slowly open and she blushes at realizing that Naruto was holding her; mainly from the sudden thought that this was a nice way to wake up.

Naruto places her back onto her feet as he said "Well Hinata, welcome to Konoha."

Hinata simply looks on in amazement at the sight of the simple homes, crops, and the larger buildings. She knew that she would be happy here. Kakashi saw this and thought 'She seems to like our village. But, I wonder how she'll feel when she learns what she'll have to do in order to stay?'

_next time: The condition to stay, the Shadow Test begins..._

**N.O. Info**

(Hinata) Hello everyone. My name is Hinata and I'm here to tell you a little about my clan...well, my former clan and how it came to be.

(Hanabi) And I am Hanabi. I will also be helping out with this and just getting a chance to spend time with my sister, seeing as I won't have the chance for a long time to come.

(Hinata) Our clan can be traced back nearly a thousand years to when the Hyuga, then known as the Hiasou Clan, was one of the most powerful families that lived within the Chin-Xi Kingdom on Antana.

(Hanabi) Not only that, but the Hiasou's also made up the core guard that personally protected the Emperor who ruled the Chin-Xi.

(Hinata) But, having power like the Hiasou had within the royal court, let alone the empire, didn't come without earning the contempt of some other, lesser families within the nobility. And it was only a matter of time before someone decided to destroy the Hiasou within the eyes of the Emperor and the people.

(Hanabi) It began when a member of the Xousia Clan learned that the daughter of the Emperor had a relationship with Hioshin, first son of the Hiasou Clan. The problem with this was that the Xousia man also had feelings for her and felt betrayed by this, even though he had been rejected by the princess.

(Hinata) Due to this sting and insult to his honor, or what he felt was an insult to his honor. This man kidnapped the princess and killed her, leaving evidence that pointed to Hioshin as being the murderer. And it didn't help that the Emperor was not aware of his favorite daughter's relationship with Hioshin either.

(Hanabi) The Emperor ordered Hioshin's death, though his father knew he was innocent and tried to sway the Emperor's judgment. But he would not budge, nor would he even consider that it was a set up. I guess his daughter's death really did hurt him and his pain and rage kept him from thinking straight.

(Hinata) In the end, many of the house of Hiasou would rise up and rebel against the Empire because of this and Hioshin was forced by his father to leave Chin-Xi with as many of the woman and children as he could and find shelter in another land. What happened to those left behind is unknown to us. Only the clan head is privy to those details.

(Hanabi) Hioshin brought his clan here to Shumoa and after twenty years of looking around, they came upon the mining town of Tamatsa. Though the stay there was only meant to be temporary as they looked for a new place to call home, a series of talks and deal making occurred that ended with the Hiasou remaining in Tamatsa indefinitely as well as renaming themselves the Hyuga in order to hide from any Chin-Xi hunters.

(Hinata) I think that's enough for now. On the next segment of N.O. Info, we'll be learning more about this mysterious Shadow Test.

(Hanabi) And future segments will talk about the Order of Ama and other such topics.


	11. 21 Dive into the Shadows 1

Before we begin this chapter, there's a few things to say. I had originally planned on going back and dong the first ten chapters of N.O. before moving on to the Shadow Test arc, but I am having some trouble with writing it out at this time. So I've decided to just move forward with the storyline for now and do the first ten chapters later when I have both the time and I can write them out to where I'm satisfied with them.

And as of this chapter, I'll be experimenting with a few new ideas on how to handle certain ways of doing the text on here, so bare with me if possible and let me know what you think.

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.21: Dive into the Shadows 1**

Naruto gazed skyward, looking at the clouds as they passed by overhead. Though in truth, he wasn't really paying attention to the clouds as he was lost in thought over the situation Hinata was now facing. He closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to wander and think on what he could still do to help her.

"_Hinata..." his thoughts called out to._

**flashback begins...**

Sarutobi looked at both Naruto and Hinata for a moment as he puffed his pipe, then he looked at Kakashi who nodded at him. Turning his attention back to the two young 13yrlds, Sarutobi finally decided that it was time to tell them.

"OK you two, here's the situation at present" said Sarutobi who allowed a brief pause in his words in order to make sure that they were indeed paying attention.

Seeing that they were, he continues his explanation. "Hinata, you wish to live here with us in Konoha; am I correct?"

Hinata nods and says "Yes sir...I mean, lord Hokage. I no longer have a home to call my own and I...I want to stay close to Naruto."

Hinata then blushes at openly admitting that aloud as does Naruto he looks away from everyone bashfully to hide his own blush.

"Hmm, you've already taken that much of a liking to our young boy here, have you? Aw, the joys of young love and finding that special someone, eh Kakashi?" asked Sarutobi.

"Indeed, lord Hokage" agreed Kakashi.

Naruto turns back at them and shouts "Shut...shut up. I mean, your embarrassing Hinata and all, so let's just focus on the serious issue here."

"Very well" said Sarutobi as he chuckled.

His face then gets serious as he says "Naruto, Hinata, the truth is that we can not give Hinata sanctuary here in our village...not unless she is willing to do one of two things."

Naruto knew this was coming as he looked at Hinata, who asked "What are these two choices, sir?"

"Well, the first is for you to become an official shinobi of Konoha. However, there is something you should know about this" said Sarutobi.

Both Naruto and Hinata remained quiet; awaiting what Sarutobi would say next. "The truth, Hinata, is that kunoichi style missions are different than the ones undertaken by their male counterparts."

"Different how?" asked Naruto, who also didn't really know much about this due to no one ever telling him the specifics.

"Naruto, a kunoichi is expected to go around and gather information and perform assassinations on specific targets. But unlike us men, they usually go about doing this in a more...private and personal way" said Kakashi.

Naruto simply cocked his head to the side in confusion and asked "And what does that mean?"

Sarutobi could see Hinata obviously had some idea of what it was he was speaking about due to the sudden tenseness in her posture now. "What that means, Naruto, is that kunoichi will often engage in sexual based acts, even sleeping with a target, in order to carry out their missions successfully."

Naruto's eyes go wide with shock as he looks at Hinata. "That's...that's total insane. How can we ask our female counterparts to do something like that? What would make you think Hinata would want to do stuff like that?" he then shouts out.

"I know how it sounds, Naruto. But it is a system that works. In many ways, a kunoichi is a lot more dangerous than us male shinobi. Even us men can sometimes be expected to do this, but no where near as much as the women" said Kakashi.

"That's still barbaric though" grumbled Naruto.

"What's the other option?" Hinata finally asked, hoping the other option was better.

"The other option is for you to marry into the village circle. And as you can guess, that means you would marry an official resident of the village" said Sarutobi.

"So...I would have to marry after all?" said Hinata as she closed her eyes sadly.

Naruto scowled at this, thinking _'You mean after what she had to go through before, Hinata would still have to marry someone she doesn't even know or love. Wait, I wonder if...?'_

"I'll do it" said Naruto suddenly, bringing everyone's attention on to him.

Naruto then turns to Hinata and gets down onto one knee (as he heard was the norm for this) and said "Hinata, I know we've only just met and all, but...will you take me as your husband?" Naruto blushed a deep red as he said this.

Hinata's cheeks go red as well as she says "Naruto? I...I don't know what to say..."

"Naruto, I'm sorry but this won't work" said Sarutobi.

Naruto gets back onto his feet and says "Why not? I'm now an official member of the village now, right?"

Sarutobi nods and says "Yes, you are. But, that right can be revoked if you are dismissed as a shinobi of our village. But that's not the real problem here."

"Then what is?" asked Naruto.

"You won't be of legal marrying age by Hidden Village law until your sixteen; though there are exceptions to this rule that sadly don't apply here. Normally, this is also true for female residents of a Hidden Village, but Hinata does fall into that special exemption rule" states Kakashi.

"Because of this, Hinata can only marry someone who is of legal age like Kakashi for example" said Sarutobi.

Naruto looked over at Hinata and saw the sadness in her eyes and said "Hinata...I..."

"Can I have some time to think about this?" asked Hinata.

Sarutobi nods and says "Yes, you may have some time. After all, this isn't something that can be decided on right away. But, I can only give you two weeks at the most for that is the maximum time limit aloud for an outsider of your age. Until then, you shall be staying with Kurenai Yuhi while you think about this."

"I understand...and thank you..." said Hinata before turning and walking towards the door.

"Hinata..." says Naruto as he reaches out to here, but stops as Kakashi places a hand on his shoulder and stops him. He is then forced to watch as Hinata exits the room with a dark cloud of fear and uncertainty coming off of her.

**flashback ends**

It had been nine days since that day and Naruto knew Hinata was running out of time. He hadn't seen her for the rest of that day, though he had seen her again on the next. Hinata had done her best to keep up her normal persona, but he knew that this decision was weighing heavily on her mind.

_'Dammit, there has to be something more that I can do for her' _thinks Naruto, cursing his powerlessness to do anything for her now.

"There you are Naruto" came a voice that drew him from his thoughts.

Naruto opened his eyes and tilted his head over towards the direction of the voice. "Oh, hey Shikamaru. What are you doing here? I thought you and Asuma-sensei were off on some mission or something."

"We got back late last night and I was hoping I'd be able to sleep in today. But instead, I find myself being woken up earlier by my mom who had a message from the Hokage's office. And part of that message was to find you and bring you along with me" explained Shikamaru.

"Hmm, I wonder what the old man wants with us?" asked Naruto, more to himself than to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru simply scratches his head while saying "Beats me, but this whole thing reeks of trouble if you ask me. I just know it's going to be a drag."

Naruto jumps to his feet and the two begin their walk towards HQ. "By the way Naruto, why were you being lazy out here in the outskirts of the village? That's normally my job" asked Shikamaru.

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking about the situation with Hinata. I'm really racking my brain here to try to come up with something that can help her out" said Naruto.

"Yeah, I've heard about that. The whole things is nothing but trouble if you ask me" agreed Shikamaru.

After about ten minutes of walking, they arrived at HQ and made their way to the Hokage's personal office and were surprised when the sight of Ino sitting in a chair came into view before them.

"Shikamaru, Naruto, what are you guys doing here?" asked Ino as she stood up and walked over to them.

"The same thing you are, or so I'm guessing" replied Shikamaru.

"So Ino, do you know what's going on by any chance 'cause me and Shika here are stumped?" asked Naruto.

Ino only shrugs, then says "Beats me, guys. I only just got here myself a few minutes ago and I was told to wait out here till I was called for. But now I'm really curious as to why all three of us would be called in here for."

"Well now that all three of you are here, you can all find out" said Asuma, making them jump as he opened the door to the Hokage's office. "Now, let's get inside so we can begin the meeting."

The three genin nod as they follow Asuma inside the room. Once inside and the door was closed behind them, they noticed that Kakashi and Kurenai were also present as well.

"Take a seat, you three" instructed Kurenai, motioning to the empty chairs before the Hokage's desk.

The three genin comply as they each sit down with Ino in the middle, Naruto to her right, and Shikamaru to her left. For the next few moments, there was a tense silence that filled the air as the three of them awaited the reason as to why they had been summoned.

"I bet you three are wondering as to why we've called you here today, right?" asked Sarutobi, earning a nod in response.

"Well, the three of you have been doing rather well in your missions and have been given great praise from your sensei's. So this is one of the reason's why I have decided to give you three a chance at taking on the Shadow Test" said Sarutobi.

The shocked looks that covered the three genin's faces was priceless to the four adults in the room. "The Shadow Test. Are you meaning THE Shadow Test, one of the three requirements required for genin to advance to the rank of chunin Shadow Test?" asked Ino in disbelief.

"The very same" said Kakashi.

"We'll go over this again, just for the heck of it" said Kurenai. "In order for a shinobi to advance from Genin to Chunin, they must accomplish three trials that have been mandated by the Grand Daimyo. One is the successful passing of the right number of mission of various rankings. The second is earning a passing grade in the Shadow Test. And the third, which comes after meeting the requirements of the first two, is doing a final mission on your own and succeeding at it as required" she adds.

"But why us? I mean, we've only been active as genin for about four months or so" asked Naruto.

"True, but you three have shown to have exceptional skills and have more than earned a right to do this. Also, we believe in your individual abilities and we believe in you three in general" said Asuma.

"Oh man, I should have just stayed in bed" complained Shikamaru who knew this was going to be way more work than was to his liking.

"Well, you three don't have to do this if you choose not to. There are others we could send as the representatives of our village. We just figured we would make the offer to you three because you've earned it" said Sarutobi.

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino looked at each other, then back at the Hokage and Ino said "We'll do it. If nothing else, it will be a good chance to put what we've learned so far to the test."

"Are you OK with this, Shikamaru?" asked Asuma.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, it's either this or doing chores at home everyday for hours as my mom barks at me about "missing a spot". This is the better deal" said Shikamaru.

"So, when do we leave?" asked Naruto.

"Tomorrow at noon. I know this is rather short notice, but it took some persuasion to convince my advisers that this was a good idea. Also, the test is being held in the Jezai region like always. So you three better pack for the long hall as you'll be gone for about three weeks or so. Now, we'll introduce you to your overseer for this mission" said Sarutobi.

"Wait, what do you mean overseer?" asked Shikamaru.

"In addition to the three of you being the representatives of our village, we shall also be sending a Jonin to both keep watch over you three and act as the official voice of the village. Each of the five villages will be sending it's own team and rep for this Shadow Test" said Sarutobi.

"Allow me to take it from there, lord Hokage" came a voice from the empty air.

Everyone turns to the direction of a sudden swirling of smoke the appeared in the room, followed by the appearance of a man with a pale complexion and deep, sagging bags under his eyes. He stood up and made a polite bow before speaking to them.

"I am Hayate Gekko and I will be your overseer/Konoha rep for this test. While we're in route to the testing grounds, I'll will tell you three more about the actual test itself and what you can expect from it" said Hayate before coughing.

"You three are dismissed now. Go prepare and do what ever you need to do today and be at the gate no later than eleven forty-five" said Sarutobi.

"Old man, I have a question" said Naruto.

"What is it?" asked Sarutobi.

"What about the situation with Hinata? Is there any chance it could be put off till I get back? I...I wanted to be here when she makes her decision about it" asked Naruto.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but that is impossible" said Sarutobi.

Naruto didn't say anything more as he got up and joined Shikamaru and Ino as they exited the room. The three of them walked outside and proceeded to just wander around.

"Guys, I'm going to go see Hinata and have a talk with her" said Naruto.

"Right, we'll see you tomorrow then" said Shikamaru.

"...Yeah..." replied Naruto.

"Naruto, if you don't want to go now, we'll understand. After all, the three of us can wait another six months before doing this" said Ino, understanding that he was now having an inner struggle over this.

"Thanks Ino. I...I just don't know now. I...I'm gonna need to talk to Hinata before I can make my final decision" said Naruto.

Both Ino and Shikamaru nod as they go to walk away. "Hey Ino, can I ask a personal question of you?" asked Naruto.

Ino stops and looks back and ask "What is it?"

"I was wondering if...you have, ya know, done any of the more physical and personal stuff that comes with being a kunoichi yet?" asked Naruto.

Ino blushes before saying "Actually, I haven't yet. Kurenai-sensei told me that it won't be a possible issue for me till after I make chunin. Until then, she'll handle that stuff on her own while teaching me the things I'll need to know myself. Also, I..."

"What is it, Ino?" asked Shikamaru.

"I...haven't been trained for that yet either" said Ino as her blush increased.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"I...well, that is...I...OK, I'll just come out and say it. After a kunoichi has been ranked as a genin for a full year, she will be assigned a male partner and they will be locked in a special building for one month and they...they'll be expected to train each other to...well, you know..." said Ino shyly and nervously.

Both Naruto and Shikamaru's eyes go wide as they realize what she was inferring to. Ino, now fully red faced, says "And it's possible, according to Kurenai-sensei, that either of you could be chosen as my partner for this month long training."

Ino then turns and runs away from the embarrassment over this.

"Wow, this became awkward rather quickly" said Shikamaru.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be going now" said Naruto, earning a nod from Shikamaru before parting ways.

_Next time: Departure..._

**N.O. Info**

**The Shadow Test and how to become a Chunin**

**(warning, the following contains spoilers so read with caution)**

how to become a Chunin: In order to become a Chunin ranked ninja, a Genin has to perform three different things. One is that they must complete 50 D-ranked missions, 10 C-ranked missions, and 1 mission of B-ranking or higher.

The second is receiving a passing grade in the Shadow Test (see blow).

The third and final task needed to become a Chunin is once the first two task have been met, the village will test the Genin by giving them a C-ranked mission that they must complete on their own (no back up, what so ever). If this mission can be completed as instructed, then the Genin will receive the upgrade in status to Chunin.

The Shadow Test: This test, held in the Jezai region is broken up into three parts; each one issues a grade based on how well the participants do in it. The first test takes place over a five day (or more) period in which each team is assigned to infiltrate a castle and steal an important document with out being spotted and/or taking out as few guards as possible.

The second test is done in a manner similar to capture the flag. Each team is given a scroll and in order to pass, must go out into a special field area and steal a scroll from an opposing team, then make it back to their respective base with out losing a team member. This test also includes additional challenges that will be decided upon when the time comes.

The final test is an individual one on one battle between each Genin in order to test their specific skills and abilities.

During this time, we also learn Kumo sent both of it's Jinchurriki to the exams on a special, secret mission. Killer Bee (8 tailed) is acting as the Jonin rep. While Yugito (2 tailed) is acting as a Genin. Their true mission is to determine the identities of the other villages Jinchurriki for a possible future acquisition or murder (depending on if they can be swayed to join the Kumo).

Naruto (9 tails) is the Konoha Genin and Jinchurriki. Garaa (1 tailed) is the Suna Genin and Jinchurriki. Ukataka (6 tailed) is the Genin and Jinchurriki of Kiri. And Roushi (6 tailed) is the Jonin rep and Jinchurriki of Iwa.

Currently, the 3 tailed (Moegi), 5 tailed (?), and 7 tailed (Fuu) locations are unknown.


	12. 22 Dive into the Shadows 2

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.22: Dive into the Shadows 2**

Hinata sat back on the bench, her eyes looking skyward as she observed the clouds passing by overhead. She let out a sigh as this whole thing was becoming a little tiring for her. She didn't like either chose, but she also didn't want to leave here either seeing as she didn't know where else to go.

_'Naruto...what should I do...?' _she wondered to herself.

"Hinata, are you around here?" came Naruto's voice from not to far off.

Hinata opens her eyes and shouts out "I'm over here; sitting on the bench by the tree."

After a few moments, Naruto's form appeared from around another tree and he approached her. Hinata scooted over to give Naruto room to sit down by here. For the next few moments, they both remained quiet as they allowed the moment of uneasy silence to linger for a bit.

"Hinata, are you doing OK?" asked Naruto.

Hinata nods and says "Of course I am, Naruto. Why wouldn't I be?"

Naruto keeps his eyes on her for a second before looking away and says "Hinata..."

"Actually, my minds a jumbled mess right now. "I just...I just don't know what to do" said Hinata as her eyes begin to tear up.

Naruto looks back at her and uses a finger to wipe an escaped tear from her cheek. "Hinata, please don't cry. You shouldn't ever have to cry unless those tears are tears of joy. I know this isn't an easy chose, but I have faith that you'll do what's best for you. After all, I believe in you."

Hinata looks at him for a second, then smiles sweetly at him and says "Thank you, Naruto. I feel a little better now."

"Yeah..." said Naruto, now hesitating to tell her about the Shadow Test.

Naruto found himself having an internal struggle right now. Was he being selfish? Was it selfish for him to want to go, not letting his comrades down, and leave Hinata behind after he brought her into this difficult choice in her life? Was it selfish for him to stay with Hinata to help her and force his comrades to wait longer for this great opportunity? Truth was, he just didn't know what to do.

Hinata saw the look on Naruto's face and knew that he was having his own personal inner struggle and became concerned. "Naruto, is something wrong?"

Naruto snaps out of his thoughts and quickly says "Huh? Oh no, of course not Hinata. Everything's fine."

"You're not a very good liar, Naruto. Please, tell me. Or should I ask miss Kurenai?" asked Hinata.

Naruto jumps at that one and says "Hinata, seriously, there isn't anything wrong. And if there was, why would Kurenai-sensei know anything about it anyways?"

"Because she told me that she was going to a meeting that involved you and your two fellow genin friends" replied Hinata.

Naruto sighs and says "And here I would think she wouldn't even talk about that to you. …...Hinata, I'm sorry but you were right. I have been keeping something from you and I...wasn't sure if I should tell you about it."

Hinata turns her body slightly to better face him and takes his left hand and holds it between the both of hers and says "Please, tell me Naruto."

"Alright, I'll tell you. That meeting she was talking about was about the Shadow Test and how Shikamaru, Ino, and myself had been chosen as the genin team representatives for our village for it" said Naruto.

"What is the Shadow Test, Naruto?" asked Hinata.

"Basically, it is one of three test that a genin has to undertake in order to eventually be upgraded to the rank on chunin. It's a great opportunity for us, considering we haven't been genin for that long a time. But if I went with them, I would be gone for about three weeks or so and I wouldn't be here to stand by your side when you made your decision" said Naruto.

When Hinata looks away, Naruto adds "I'm sorry, Hinata. I didn't want you to know because I knew it would make up upset and..."

Hinata looks back at him and says "Upset, of course I'm gonna be upset and I am upset too."

Naruto winces at the higher tone in her voice and the slight impression of anger in her eyes, then looks away and says "I'm sorry Hinata. I am being selfish about considering the idea after..."

Naruto feels her hands come to rest gently against his cheeks and turns his head back to looking at her. Her expression had changed from one of anger to one of sadness and another tear falls from her eyes.

"Naruto, you big dummy. That's not why I was mad at you" said Hinata in a more gentle voice.

"It's not?" asked Naruto.

"Of course not. What makes me mad is that you would turn away from such an opportunity just for my sake. I really appreciate the thought and all, but how could I be happy if I knew you had given up a great chance to further your dream just for me? I wouldn't be happy at all" said Hinata.

"I guess I really am a big dummy, huh? But, what about you?" asked Naruto.

Hinata lets his face go and smiles as she says "I'll be fine, Naruto. Besides, this is something I really need to do on my own. I...I can't always have you present to hold my hand and say words of comfort to me. If I'm always leaning off of you, then my own desire to become free and independent will never happen. And that's why...I want you to go. I'll be here when you get back."

Naruto eyes widen a little as he ask "So, you've made your decision now?"

Hinata shakes her head and says "Not even close. But no matter what happens, I know it'll all work out somehow."

Naruto nods and says "Yeah, I think so too." He then gets up and says "I better get going. I need to go tell Shika and Ino about this and then start getting ready for the trip seeing as we're leaving tomorrow. Hinata, how about we meet up at Ichiraku's tonight and have dinner together."

"I would like that" said Hinata.

Naruto takes a few steps away, then stops and looks back at her and says "Hinata, just remember this. No matter what happens or what you choose, we will always be friends. And even if you make the choice that leads to you having to leave the village, remember that I will still come visit you where ever you go to live as often as I can. I know Kurenai-sensei and the old man won't just dump you in the middle of nowhere."

Hinata nods and says "Thank you, Naruto. See you tonight."

**the next morning...**

The three genin stood side by side as Hayate Gekko looked them over, then asked "Are you three ready to go?"

"Yes, sensei" the three of them say in unison.

Hayate nods, then looks back at the assembled gathering and ask "So, is there anything else that needs saying?"

Asuma steps forward first and motions Shikamaru forward. "OK Shikamaru, I know this is a little more of an active event than is to you liking, but I expect you to pull your fair share in this and put that high IQ of yours to good use out there, alright?"

"Right, Asuma-sensei. But this is still gonna be such a drag though" said Shikamaru, earning a sigh/smile from Asuma in return.

Kurenai then steps forward as does Ino. "Ino, make sure to keep these two knuckle heads in check out there. As you are my student, I expect you to make sure they don't do anything that would make us look bad in front of the other villages."

"That's a pretty tall order there, sensei. But don't worry, I know how to handle my guys here" said Ino confidently.

Naruto leans over to Shikamaru and whispers "I'm betting she does know how to HANDLE guys."

Ino spins around, her cheeks red as she makes a hand sign and shouts "NARUTO, PREPARE TO SUFFER!"

Kurenai sighs and adds "And try to keep that temper of yours in check while your at it too."

Kakashi then steps forward as does Naruto and Kakashi places his hand on Naruto shoulder. "Naruto, you've been doing really well with your training. But don't forget this. The key to victory here lies within the necessity of teamwork between the three of you. They'll need you as you'll need them too. So never forget that you are not alone out there."

"I know sensei. I promise I'll make you proud of me" said Naruto confidently. He then cracks a smile and adds "And try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone and not there to save your butt."

"I think that should be Kakashi's line, Naruto" joked Iruka, earning a huff of annoyance from Naruto, a giggle from Ino, and a yawn from Shikamaru.

Iruka then steps forward and says "Truth be told guys, I'm a little apprehensive about all of this. I honestly feel the three of you should be given more time training with your sensei's before taking on this test. But despite that, I still believe you three will do fine. So good luck and come back home safely."

The three once again nod in affirmation of this. Next, the Hokage steps forward and looks them over.

"Most of what needed to be said has already been said, so I will end it all with this. While you are gone, make sure you listen to everything you are told, both from Hayate and from the Ame reps that will be overseeing and judging the test. Hayate will explain in full in route" said Sarutobi.

He then looks at Hayate and adds "I leave these three in your hands, Hayate. Good luck and Kami's speed to the three of you."

Hayate nods and says "Yes, lord Hokage _cough._" He then turns around and makes the hand signs needed to open the Hidden Gate to the outside.

As the trees slowly move and form the gate Hinata steps forward and speaks up.

"Naruto...good luck out there" said Hinata as she smiled at him.

Naruto gives her a thumbs up and says "I'll come back...we'll come back as winners and it will be dedicated to you Hinata, believe it."

Hinata nods happily, then looks at Naruto with a confused look as Naruto starts digging through his pocket. He then pulls out his mother's star locket and uses his free hand to pull Hinata's hand out and places the locket into her hand. 

"Naruto...what...?" asked Hinata.

"This has always been a precious keep sake for me and I've always carried it with me, but now I want you to have it now. I hope it'll bring you good luck as it has brought me" said Naruto before mentally adding _'After all, its luck allowed me to meet you, right?'_

Hinata blushes before saying "I...I can't accept this, Naruto. It's something precious to you and..."

"All the more reason for you to accept it and take good care of it. Besides, I don't need it anymore anyways" said Naruto.

"You don't?" asked Hinata.

"Yeah, because I've found something even more precious to me" said Naruto before turning and the four members of Konoha's Shadow Test exiting through the path.

"Wow Naruto, never would have guessed you could be so cool and...well, manly" said Ino.

Naruto grins as he brings his hands up to rest behind his head and says "I do amaze myself sometimes. Why, you aren't falling for me now, are you Ino?"

Ino scoffs that remark off and says "Don't flatter yourself, ramen boy. You have to many detractors to suit my classy taste."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and says "Please tell me this isn't going to continue throughout the whole test. What a drag."

Hayate merely chuckles at this exchange before the four of them jump into the tree lines and head off for Jezai.

Hinata blushes fiercely as she holds the locket to her heart. "Naruto..." she says in a dreamy voice.

Kurenai smiles and thinks _'Well, if she wasn't crushing on Naruto for what he's done for her before, she's certainty gonna be loving him now.'_

**that night...**

The three genin had just finished eating their dinners and awaited Hayate's explanation on what it was that they could expect. Due to the speed of their travels, they would be arriving at the site of the test within the Jezai region by tomorrow afternoon. But due to the route they had taken didn't have any villages along the path and thus, they were forced to engage in a camping experience with one another.

Hayate coughed a little before clearing his throat and then said "OK you three, scoot in closer so you can hear this."

They nod as they move in closer and waited for him to continue.

"OK here's the deal. The Shadow Test, much the like conditions required to become a Chunin, is broken up into three different test" said Hayate.

After a moment, he says "The first test makes use of a castle located near the sight. A special team from Ame will be sent in to inhabit the castle and will also be placed under a special jutsu that will alter their personalities for the duration of this test."

"What is the purpose of this test?" asked Ino.

"There will be a scroll hidden deep inside the castle and you'll be charged with stealing it. The guards will act as realistically as possible and you'll have to sneak in, avoid a confrontation with the guards as much as possible, retrieve the scroll, and escape within a set time period. Also, killing the guards is also off limits due to the conditions set for this fake mission" said Hayate.

"So basically, its a test of our infiltration and stealth skills?" asked Shikamaru.

"More or less. Also, this test will take place over five days; one day for each team. Now, the next test will take place over a three day period and it's basically capture the flag kind of thing" said Hayate.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Well, each team will take the scroll you stole from the first test; or given one if you failed that test, and will be placed into a special area with the other teams and you'll be task with stealing the scrolls of the other teams. Also, on the third day, Ame's special ninja force will also be sent in for an added challenge and each team will also have a scroll. A victory comes from having at least two scrolls. And the number of Ame's teams will be the same as the teams involved to give each team a chance at two scrolls" said Hayate.

"What about the final test?" asked Ino.

"This one can differ depending on the head Ame's tester's choice. One possibility is a one on one battle to determine individual skills. Another is a royal rumble like fight were its every genin for him or herself. There can be other possibilities as well. Just be prepared for anything with this one" said Hayate.

"Hayate-sensei, do you think we have a chance at passing this?" asked Naruto.

"I'm not sure. But I will say you guys have a better chance than my team did when I was still a genin seeing as my team was way more imbalanced than yours is. Now get some sleep. You're gonna need it, trust me" said Hayate.

"This is gonna be a drag, I just know it" said Shikamaru, earning a shush from Naruto and Ino.

The following day, the Konoha team finally came to a stop at the spot where they were to wait for the arrival of the Ame overseers. But they quickly noticed something odd before them.

Including them, there was SIX teams present. And one team had a symbol that was new to them. And that symbol was that of a musical note.

**Next time: The first test begins, Hinata's choice...**


	13. 23 Dive into the Shadows 3

This chapter might seem a little filler-ish like in it's telling and if it does, sorry about that. But, we need chapters like these to happen every once and a while in a series. Also, Hinata makes her choice this chapter and for anyone who ISN'T happy about her choice, all I can ask is to trust me and trust that I know what I'm doing. Everything will become clearer as to what I'm doing and planning in two or three chapters. So, bare with me till then.

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.23: Dive into the Shadows 3**

From out of the sea of trees emerged three figures. In the center was a cloaked figure who had two men to either side. As they came to a stop of the open field, the clouds above rumble violent; threatening to unleash the rains that permeated Jezai's weather for most of the year.

The hooded figure turned slowly, observing the more wooded area that surrounded them before speaking aloud. "Those of the shadows that walk in the five lands, appear before us now."

At this command, six blurs erupted from the tree lines all around them; coming to a landing before the representatives of Grand Daimyo. The hooded figured observed the confusion on the faces of the five groups; all focused on the sixth group with the musical note symbol on their forehead protectors.

"Greetings to you all" said the hooded figure while reaching up and removing the hood.

Everyone turned the attention to the figure, now seeing the face of a young girl in her twenties. She had blue/purple colored hair and a paper flower in her hair and a small silver bolt piercing under her lip.

"My name is Konan and as the head representative of the Grand Daimyo and head proctor of the Shadow Test, I welcome you with open arms" said Konan.

Everyone gave her a nod before she then says "To my left is Pikun and to my right is Rudo who will also be proctors for the test. Now before we can begin, there are a few formalities that we must go over."

"First; as the teams from the five lands have noticed, we have a new SIXTH team present here. They are shinobi of Oto, who contacted us several months ago with a request to become an official ninja force in Shumoa. The Grand Daimyo decided to use this Shadow Test to see what they could do. And depending on how they do, their future as Shumoa ninja force will be determined" said Konan.

After awaiting a moment to gauge the reactions of the five main teams, she then says "Now, we shall take the names of each of you six groups to record to our record books. We shall start with the Iwa group" said Konan before walking over to the Iwa nin with Rudo following her with pen and paper in hand.

"I am Roushi, Jonin rep of Iwa" said the tall man with the bright red beard.

"Yusuke Goro" said the black haired boy.

"Shino Aburame" said the brown hair boy with shades.

"Karin" said the red haired girl with thick glasses.

Konan shook hands with each of them, then made her way over to the Suna nin.

"I am Baki, the rep from Suna" said the man with half his face covered by a clothe.

"Temari" said the blonde haired girl with the large metal fan on her back.

"Kankuro" said the boy with paint covered face and large wrapped figure on his back.

"Gaara of the Sand" said the red headed boy with the massive gourd on his back.

Again, Konan shakes there hands before moving onto the team from Kiri.

"I'm Chojuro, the rep of Kiri, " nervously said the young man with the large double hilted sword on his back.

"Ukataka" said the brown haired boy who was blowing bubbles from a pipe.

"Sora" said the pink haired girl with a large spear.

"Kabuto" said the silver haired boy wearing glasses.

After shaking their hands, Konan moved next over to Konoha's team.

"I'm Hayate Gekko"

"Shikamaru Nara"

"Ino Yaminaka"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

After the hand shake for each, Konan moved over to the Oto nin.

"Salizar" said the black haired rep of Oto.

"Dosu" said the mummy like figure.

"Zaku" said the brown haired cocky looking figure.

"Kin" said the dark haired girl with a long scarf.

Unlike with the others, Konan doesn't shake their hands, but heads over to the Kumo nin.

"I'm Yu...Yuna" said the purple haired girl.

"Karui" said the dark skinned girl.

"Omoi" said the dark skinned boy with a tooth pick in his mouth.

After shaking their hands, Konan turned her attention to their Jonin leader who had a rather nervous inducing smile on his face.

"Name please" she asked.

"Yo Yo, check it out, for real. My names Killer Bee; the genuine deal" said Killer Bee before crossing his hands over his chest in an X pattern and making everyone sweat drop at the sight.

Konan shakes his hand quickly and says "RRRIIIGGGHHHTTT, moving on now."

She returned to the center of the field and and gave everyone a moment to get over that little...moment before moving on to the next part.

"OK, here's how this is gonna work. By now, I am sure your sensei's have explained what to expect and how this works. So we will skip a repeat here and move onto the important matter. The six of you shall draw lots to determine the order that each team will have in this first test. Once this is done, we will have a final talk about this" said Konan.

At this, Pikun pulled out and scroll and from it came a box. He then went around and had each Jonin take a slip of paper out. Once this was done, Konan then went around and made a note of each one's number. Once done, she returned to the center again.

"OK, the order will be Kiri on the first day, Suna on the second day, Konoha on the third day, Kumo on the fourth day, Oto on the fifth day, and Iwa on the sixth day" said Konan.

After a brief pause, she said "This test will begin at 10pm tonight for you Kiri and your team will have until 6am in the morning to complete the mission. Please remember that this is only a test, so no killing or else you will fail outright on the whole test. Now, Rudo and Pikun will talk with each of you as if they were the Kage you serve under and give you the basic need to know info for this faux mission."

Konan then turns away and a series up papers shoot out from her body, shaping into wings before flying off.

"Hey, were is she going?" asked Karin.

"Making her first report to the Grand Daimyo. She will return before the first days test begins" said Pikun.

"Now, all teams gather in close so we can give you the info you'll use to help aid in the infiltration" says Rudo.

(Ame)

The light rain had begun to fall as Konan landed on a small balcony along the side of the the tallest tower in the city. Once she had fully reformed, she stepped forward and entered into the tower. She made her way quickly through the darkened corridors and up a long flight of stairs.

Soon, she emerged at the top which had an incredibly thin yet long perch with a single person sitting right at the edge.

The figure turned his head just slightly and asked "What have you found?"

Konan reached into her rain cloak and pulled out the scroll with the info and held it out before herself. The scroll quickly shot free and floated into the waiting arms of the orange haired figure.

"Six of them, huh?" said the figure.

"Correct, it would seem the Hidden Villages all sent their dirty little secrets to the test. An odd choice if I may say so" said Konan.

"Odd...or preordained?" corrected the figure.

Konan shrugs, then says "Either way, we now have confirmed the existence of seven of the nine Jinchurriki. The first being that green haired girl that has somehow managed to allude our search for her."

"Because of that ancient fossil of a women. That old hag is...an odd one to be sure" said the figure.

"And unpredictable as well. But it doesn't matter. When the time comes, she will fall before your power" said Konan.

The figure remained quiet, so Konan asked "Shall I proceed with our plans for the test then?"

"Yes, it will be a good way to test our future weapons to see what it is they can do. I am counting on you, Konan" said the figure.

"Right Nagato" said Konan before she sprouted wings and took to the skies again.

"Soon, the world shall know Pain and then, we will finally have peace" said Pain as he returned to gazing over HIS city.

**the third day**

Kurenai saw Hinata sitting by the tree, her gaze focused skyward and it was obvious that she was lost in thought. But, Kurenai could also see that there was something different in her eyes. And it was obvious that what that something was.

"You've made your decision, haven't you Hinata?" asked Kurenai as she walked up to the girl.

Hinata jumped as she turned to look at the older woman and said "Oh, miss Kurenai? You scared me there."

"Sorry about that, but you were really focused on the sky. But never mind that. You've made your decision, haven't you?" asked Kurenai again.

Hinata nods and says "Yes, I've been doing a lot of thinking on this and it wasn't easy to come to this decision. But, I now know what my answer is."

"And what have you decided?" asked Kurenai.

"I want to stay here...by Naruto's side. Forever if possible" said Hinata as she looked away.

"I see. So which one have you chosen?" asked Kurenai.

"Neither one..." said Hinata before turning back to looking at Kurenai again.

"I really want to stay here with Naruto; to be by his side forever. But, I can't do it. Not with those two being my only choices in this. Look at my hair. I cut it mostly off as a symbol of having left that lifer behind me. If I became a kunoichi who would be expected to use her body for a mission or married to stay in this village, then it would be a betrayal of the symbol that my hair has become for me" said Hinata.

"Hinata..." said Kurenai, surprised at the conviction in Hinata's voice.

"If marrying Naruto was an option, then I could go through with that because...well, because I would be OK with that. But, I just can't do it. Miss Kurenai, am I making the right choice or am I being selfish?" asked Hinata as a tear escaped her eyes.

Kurenai took Hinata by surprise with a kind smile before moving in and hugging Hinata; a hug Hinata happily returned.

"Silly girl, of course it's the right choice. And I say that because its the choice you made for yourself. No one is forcing that choice on you, so of course it's the right choice" said Kurenai before breaking from the hug.

Hinata smiles before asking "Thank you, miss Kurenai. But, what will happen to me now?"

"Well, I had a feeling that this would be the choice you'd make for yourself. And that's why I already made arrangements for a new home for you" said Kurenai.

"How did you know?" asked Hinata.

"Well, you're a pure and innocent girl, Hinata. It's obvious that this is not the life for you. Maybe if you had been born into this world and raised with this as an expectation, then maybe you could be a kunoichi. But since you weren't, there was no way I could let you enter this world unless it was something you'd really wanted to" said Kurenai.

"I see. So, where will I be living now?" asked Hinata.

"The Order of Ama. I recently spoke with the head priestess there and she has agreed to let you come to live with them. And if you so choose, you can even become a priestess yourself and receive training in the ancient and sacred healing arts of the priestess" said Kurenai.

"The Order of Ama? There's a Shrine of Amarillo in Tamatsa. Well, there's a ruin that use to be one a long time ago. Me, a priestess if I so choose, huh? I guess I could do that. But...Naruto..." said a hesitant Hinata.

"Don't worry about that. For a ninja like Naruto, it would only take him an hour to go from our villages current location to temple of Ama where you'd be living at. Naruto can and will come to visit you as often as he likes; when ever he isn't on a mission that is. So, is this gonna be OK with you, Hinata?" asked Kurenai.

Hinata thinks on it a moment, then says "Yes, this is fine. When will I be leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. So be ready to do some walking. Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go tell lord Hokage of your choice" said Kurenai as she turned and left Hinata.

As she walked Kurenai pondered telling Hinata a little secret about herself. A secret that revealed that, as a child, Kurenai had ran away from the village and had ended up staying with the Order of Ama for a full year before finally returning home.

She had ran after learning about what she was expected to do as a kunoichi which had frightened her. But, after staying with the Order for that year had changed Kurenai more than anyone had imagined. And part of that change had given Kurenai the courage, and a certain skill, to be able to accept being a kunoichi of a Hidden Village.

And she had no doubt Hinata would find her true calling within the Order, unlike her. After all, Hinata was born for that life, even if she wasn't aware of it yet.

**That night**

Night had fallen over the already darkened cloudy skies of the Jezai. Team Konoha stood side by side as Konan walked up with a small box in her hand.

"Listen well, you three. Like I have explained with the two teams that did this test prior, I will now tell you" said Konan.

After confirming they had their attention, she opens the box and reveals three small bracelet like objects. She pulls out the three and hands one to each of the three genin and instructed them to put them on.

"What are these for?" asked Naruto.

"Simple, these bracelet like objects are designed to keep total track of the three of you on this mission. Also, the gems here will allow us to watch you three in action from base camp. You will actually be keeping these on till the Shadow Test has been completed" said Konan.

"Wow, that's one way to keep up with our progress, I guess" said Ino.

"Indeed. Now, before you begin the test, I will go over the rules again. This is a simulated infiltration and theft mission. You three are to enter the castle to the north without being caught, make you way to the room with the scroll and steal it, then escape while avoiding combat as much as possible" said Konan.

"Remember, the guards have been placed under a special jutsu to make them act as if this was the real thing and killing any of them will be an automatic fail for the Shadow Test. Try to stay covert as much as possible. And that you have until sun rise to escape and return to base camp" said Konan.

"If we do have a battle, will the guards try to kill us, seeing as they've been made to think this is real?" asked Shikamaru.

Konan shakes her head and says "No, their mindsets will be to capture and NOT kill. But that doesn't mean you can be careless. Just because they won't be aiming to kill doesn't mean you will die. After all, genin have been killed by accident in the past do to being sloppy."

The three genin nod. Konan then takes a step back and says "OK you three, you may begin now if you wish. And I wish the three of you luck with this test. Trust me, it won't be as easy as it might seem."

With that, Konan turned and walked away into the shadows, while the three genin turned to look at their Jonin counterpart.

"Before you three leave, I have something for you. A gift from lord Hokage" said Hayate before pulling a scroll out and revealing a small chest from within.

"What's in there?" asked Shikamaru.

"New gear, designed specifically for infiltration mission's. Lord Hokage felt that this would be a good chance to test them out. So congrats. You three will be the first to use it" said Hayate.

After pulling out his gear, Naruto ask "How does it work?"

"Well, as you can see, it is a full body suit with some minor armoring around around the chest. Normally, it is pitch black in color. But, if you send a little chakra into the garment, the fabric will change color to match the surrounding environment. We call it the chameleon armor" said Hayate.

Seeing the advantage, Naruto and Shikamaru started to strip while Ino headed over behind a bush for some privacy, only stopping long enough to say...

"If any of you try to peak, I make a eunuch out of you."

After three minutes, the three genin were now fully garbed in the chameleon armor. Hayate gave them a nod of approval and they did a quick test to see if it worked; watching as the fabric shifted to a forest green color.

Satisfied with this, they turned in the direction of the castle and headed off.

_'Good luck...and be careful' _thought Hayate as they disappeared into the night.

**Next time: The Castle Infiltration...Kakashi's encounter...**


	14. 24 Breaking Down Stone Walls

Last chapter, we saw the names of each team's members being listed and the following is a list of which ones came from the manga and which were just my own creations.

From the manga universe; we have Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Hayate, Roushi, Shino, Karin, Baki, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, Chojuro (the Kiri rep I forgot to put his name in), Ukatka, Kabuto, Dosu. Zaku, Kin, Yuna (really Yugito under a transformation jutsu), Karui, Omoi, and Killer Bee.

The original created characters are Yusuke, Sora, Pikun, and Rudo. The reason why I created original characters instead of using established names was because (with the exception of Shino) I had already decided what role the other characters will have in this series. Only Shino was an unknown before making him an Iwa.

Don't worry, the original characters will only be around for the exams and not beyond since I just needed to fill in those positions. As for what role the other familiar characters will have in series? Well, you'll just need to keep reading in order to find out. One of which will be revealed in three chapters or so. And now, let's begin...

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.24: Breaking Down Stone Walls**

"You wanted to see me, lord Hokage?" asked Kakashi as he entered into the large room.

"Yes Kakashi and I'm sorry for calling you here so late at night" said Sarutobi.

"Don't worry about it. I was getting bored anyways and I'm not feeling tired yet" replied Kakashi.

"That's good then because I have a emergency mission that needs taken care of. Feeling up for it?" asked Sarutobi.

"Might as well seeing as I don't have nothing else to worry about. So, what's the mission?" said Kakashi.

"Several bandits made a raid on the village of Fenba southwest of here. In addition to money and other valuables, they have also kidnapped several of the towns residents as well and are now holding them hostage. I need you do deal with this" said Sarutobi.

"Understood. I'm to rescue the hostages, retrieve the stolen items, and capture the bandits. Should be easy" said Kakashi.

"Then proceed to Fenba and meet with the mayor of the town. He will fill you in on the rest" said Sarutobi.

Kakashi nods before turning around and making for the door. As he reaches for the handle, he stops and says "Boy, this is a strange feeling."

Sarutobi raises an eyebrow and ask "What do you mean?"

Kakashi looks back and says "Going on a mission without Naruto with me. It feels odd to be doing one alone now."

Sarutobi smiles as he says "Hmm, it seems like you've become attached to your student."

"Maybe..." said Kakashi before opening the door and exiting the room.

_'Naruto, I hope you and the others are doing well with the test' _thinks Kakashi as he heads off to complete his mission.

**(elsewhere, within the Jezai region)**

A thunder clap made the sky rumble as the rain fell in the forest. It was only thanks to the occasional flashes of lightning lighting up the sky the was making seeing the castle in the distance easy for the three genin of Konoha.

"Well, there's our target's location. So, how do you think we should proceed?" asked Ino.

Shikamaru reached over to his special chamo-pack and pulled out a board, a blank piece of paper, and a small book that detailed the common wildlife of the Jezai region. And he mentally thanked Hayate-sensei for having the foresight to bring water proof papers and pens with them.

"OK, our first order of business is to scout around and get the lay of the land around the castle before we make our move" said Shikamaru.

He then looked at Naruto and said "Naruto, can you use your Shadow Clones to help us out with this?"

Naruto nods and says "Three clones coming right up" before making a hand sign and creating the three clones.

"Why only three?" asked Ino.

"Doesn't seem like much, I know. But this is a good chance to test out my new SC technique I've been working on" said Naruto.

"Tell us about it in a minute" said Shikamaru while thumbing through the note book.

"OK, you two clone will use the transformation jutsu to turn into these nocturnal land mammals and scout along the ground. And you, take on the appearance of this night bird and give us an aerial view of the castle ground" ordered Shikamaru.

The three clones nod and do as they were told while Ino asked "Why these three?"

"Simple, all three are common in this region. They are seen often at night. And, in the case of the black crested falcon, is common to see them during rainstorms. Now, go" said Shikamaru.

The three clones head off to complete their task. Shikamaru then looks at Naruto and ask "So, what about this new technique of yours?"

Naruto just grins and says "Watch and you will see...or should I say, I will see." He then makes several quick hand signs before saying "Shadow Sight jutsu."

Naruto closes his eyes for a moment and when he reopens them, his blue eyes had shifted from the usual cobalt blue color to being a deep glowing purple color.

"Naruto, what's going on?" asked Ino.

"I'm using my Shadow Sight jutsu. When activated, I can see anything and everything my clones are seeing in real time. Right now, I can see two perspectives of running along the ground while seeing everything from the sky. It's really weird, actually" explained Naruto.

"Really? Can I see too?" asked Ino.

"Knock yourself out. But make the mind link quick. Maintaining this jutsu isn't easy" said Naruto.

Ino nods as she does her mind transfer jutsu into Naruto's head. For just a few moments, her body remains motionless, and then her body jerks just a little as her mind returns and Shikamaru has to catch her before she could fall back onto her back.

"Wow, that's really...freaky, Naruto. How can you perceive those three visual images at once?" asked Ino.

"Lots of practice" said Naruto.

"And this is why you only made three, right?" asked Shikamaru.

"You win that one. The more clones I make and do this with, the more images I'm receiving in the overall. But more than four clones becomes more than my mind can process and thus, the images start to jumble and mix together. And thus, confusion issues."

Shikamaru and Ino say no more, understanding what Naruto was saying. For the next few minutes, there is relative silence till Naruto says "OK Shikamaru, get ready to do some writing."

Shikamaru nods as he readies his pen and notepad and after a few more seconds, Naruto begins to speak.

"OK, from my birds eye view, I can see...ten guards on the outside of the castle. Four are stationed on the look out atop the four watch towers. There is an additional four guards walking along the four connecting paths that link the towers. The final two guards are patrolling the inner opened areas of the castle from what I can see."

Shikamaru writes this all down while awaiting Naruto's next bit of info.

"Is there anyway inside that you can see?" asked Ino.

"Oh sure, lots of ways to get in. But all those have guards around them which is to risky. Wait, hold on a second..." said Naruto.

After a moment, he says "I can see a well along the northern section of the inner area that's a little past the usual watch sight of the guards."

"Naruto, can you have one of the rain ferrets check around the outside of the castle. There might be an opening along the wall" asked Shikamaru.

"Why would there be an opening to the well outside?" asked Ino.

"For a place like this, the water well would be kept inside. An outside well is more commonly used for dumping dirty water from the kitchen, assuming a door to the kitchen is close by. Also, it could be a moving underground waterway and the water might need to come out somewhere based on way the hill the castle looks from here" said Shikamaru.

"Either way, I have a look" said Naruto as he sent the mental command to the clone.

After a few more minutes, he says "Yeah, I think a found it. There is water running out of a hole in the ground and flowing into a river. Should I have the clone check it out?"

"Do it" said Shikamaru.

After another few minutes, Naruto says "I can see a barred gate on the passage...wait. It looks like its been damaged. We should be able to squeeze through it."

"But why would it be damaged?" asked Ino.

Shikamaru shrugs and says "Must have been either of the previous two teams. And I guessing the Jezai team either didn't have the time to fix it or they just didn't bother with it."

"OK guys, I think we found our way through the castles outer walls. I can see my flying clone from the bottom of the well" said Naruto.

"Good. OK, Naruto, dismiss the other ferret clone and have the one in the well stay put while we go to join it. And have the flying clone keep watch from the sky for us" said Shikamaru.

Naruto nods and does so. "OK, return to normal sight and lead us to this opening so we can sneak inside. We'll work out the next phase once we're inside the well" said Shikamaru.

Once this was done, the three of them headed out. While on the move, both Naruto and Ino found themselves being impressed with Shikamaru. It seemed that when he needed to, he could be very active and in the game...despite his slacker attitude they usually saw from him.

**(ten minutes later)**

It had taken a little longer to get where the clone was, due to the terrain, it being night out, and the rather tight squeeze through the damaged grate, but they soon stood with the clone and looking up to the top of the well.

"What now?" asked Naruto.

"Have you clone shift into something small and that can climb up the side wall here. Have it go atop and get a quick view of the surroundings so we can make our next move" said Shikamaru.

Naruto nods as he has his clone transform into a gecko and flings it upwards a bit, then re-activates his Shadow Sight to observe what it's seeing.

"What's the word, Naruto?" asked Ino.

After a moment of silence, Naruto says "Behind the well is a series of wooded crates that are stacked atop each other. But there is space enough behind them to give us some top side cover. And we should make our move...NOW."

Not wasting any time, Naruto switches his jutsu off as the three of them send chakra into their feet and jump one at a time into the air, out of the well, and dash behind the crates before the eyes of any of the guards could take notice.

"Well, this brings us to being MOSTLY inside. But how do we get in the rest of the way?" asked Ino.

Shikamaru carefully stuck his head out from the side of the crates and observed two doors. The first and closer of the two had one of the two ground guards standing rather close to it. The second was further off and seemed to be relatively unguarded.

"Ino, that one guard that's walking around; can you use a mind transfer to get into his head, scan his memories while keeping up the guard act, and then jumping back at the next pass by and muting his memories of you possessing him?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yeah, no problem. But...let's just hope he isn't the strong minded type, or this will end badly" said Ino.

She awaited her chance to make her move and as soon as the walking guard was close enough, Ino made the required hand sign and mind jumped into her target.

"Hey, you OK over there?" asked the stationary guard near the closer door.

"Huh? um...Yeah, I...um...jabbed my toe on a rock" said Ino with the guards voice.

The stationary guard kept his gaze on for another second before turning away and mumbling something about being a wimp or something. Ino was just glad it worked and quickly began her walk while starting to read the man's memories.

After she had made her full rounds, carefully observing every little detail should could, she came to a stop at the closest point to the crates as she could. And then, when the stationary guard looked away, she made another hand sign and released the jutsu.

"ow, That guy sure is a closet pervert. Being inside his head was disgusting" complained Ino as she came around, back within her own body.

"Sounds like Ebisu-sensei...I think" joked Naruto.

"Seriously, I feel sorry for the girl hooked up with him and his bizarre knee fetish" adds Ino.

Shikamaru rolls his eyes before saying "Can we focus on the MISSION, not on some random guys obsessions? What did you learn?"

"Oh, right. Well, the closer door would be more preferable, seeing as our scroll is close to it. But it's also not an option seeing as it enters into the mess hall and likely, a lot of hungry and eating guards and other castle servants" said Ino.

"What about the farther door?" asked Naruto.

"It opens into a small hallway that has a single guard patrolling it. But, this guard tends to turn and head down another hall before making another pass at the door. Also, I observed a small hole in the wall, one large enough for mice to get through next to the door" said Ino.

"The further door it is then. Ino, did you get a layout of the inside?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yeah, but we're in for a difficult trip. The room with the scroll is on the opposite side of the castle from that door and in order to get to it, we'll need to sneak past five patrolling guards within the halls, not to mention the six that guard the scroll. Then there's the usual servants walking around, attending to various task and duties too" said Ino.

"We'll just have to think on the go then" said Naruto.

Shikamaru nods in agreement, then says "OK, lets get to it. After all, we don't have all night."

Then, to Shikamaru and Ino's surprise. Naruto creates another Shadow Clone and positions it with the already active one with them and wonder what it is he whispers to them. They then observe Naruto giving one of the clones several pellets from his pack.

"What was that all about?" asked Ino once Naruto had finished with his clones.

"This could end up being rather easy or insanely hard for us; especially once we actually get the scroll. Having said that, I'm giving us a little back up insurance as a just in case" said Naruto.

Ino wanted to ask what he meant by that, but Shikamaru butts in and says "Tell us later, we need to move now."

Naruto and Ino nod before the three of them transform into tiny mouses and scurry as quickly as they could over across the grounds to the far door. Though it takes a second, they finally find the hole Ino had spotted and enter into the inner section of the castle.

**(with Kakashi)**

Kakashi made his way quickly through the small valley as he raced quickly to rescue the kidnapped villagers. He had learned from the village chief that the marauders had not only stolen money and kidnapped several children and older adults, but they had also made an impossible demand to the chief.

And failure to comply my morning would result in the deaths of the hostages.

_'Campfire light...that must be the place...'_ thought Kakashi has he slowed his movement.

He came to a stop on higher ground and carefully looked down to observe the area. It was a small camp that was located near a cave, which Kakashi assumed was where the hostages were. But, he also noticed that something was off. There was no movement what so ever within the camp ground.

_'Odd, they seem to be rather complacent for a band of outlaws. Wait...?'_ thinks Kakashi as his eye falls onto a figure who was sleeping on the ground.

Except for the fact that he obviously wasn't sleeping. As a breeze blew down into the valley crevice, the flame of the camp fire flickered and Kakashi was able to see something he hadn't seen prior in the darkness. And what he saw was a pool of blood around the body.

_'What the hell?' _thinks Kakashi as he jumps down into the campsite.

He moved around carefully, preparing for a surprise attack. But none came. Instead, all he could see was several dead bodies littering the area.

_'Did someone else come by here or was there some conflict between these men?' _wondered Kakashi as he made his way towards the cave.

He wasted no time passing through the darkened passages of the cave, fear that something had happened to the hostages building within him as he saw more and more dead bodies. Finally, he entered into a large room with a equally large cell within it.

"Who's there?" came the voice of an elderly woman from the cell.

Kakashi stepped forward, his face being illuminated by the torch light while saying "Kakashi Hatake, shinobi of Konoha. Are you all right?"

The elderly woman nodded and said "Apart from being scared and a little ruffed up, we're all fine. But what happened out there. All we could hear was yelling and screaming and the men guarding us took off and never came back. Did you...did you deal with those men?"

"Those men...won't be hurting anyone ever again. Now stand back and I'll get you out of here" said Kakashi.

Once the woman had moved back, Kakashi activated his Lightning Blade and easily destroyed the lock. As he opened the door and freed the hostages, he felt a presence that was lingering in the air.

"OK, follow me and try not to look at the ground. It's not a pretty sight" said Kakashi, earning a nod from the twenty hostages.

It didn't take long before Kakashi had taken them outside the cave, which he then made a Shadow Clone. "OK, all of you follow my clone and he will lead you back to the village. I'll catch up in a few minutes."

"What, you're not coming with us, sonny?" asked an old man.

"I need to take another look over the area; just to make sure everything is safe. Also, I'm gonna find all the stolen money that was taken from you as well" said Kakashi.

This seemed to appease the hostages as they said no more. The Kakashi clone quickly led them away into the darkness of the canyon path. Once they were gone, Kakashi looked up to a spot above the cave entrance.

"I think it's time you show yourself" shouts Kakashi.

A figure rose up from the shadows and says "I was wondering if you had detected my presence before. I guess what they say about you really is true."

"Are you the one who killed those men?" asked Kakashi.

"I am" said the figure as he jumped down to stand before Kakashi.

"My I ask why?" asked Kakashi.

"You and I have business to discuss and those men were an unneeded distractions. Also, I wanted to show you my skill and power" said the figure.

"What kind of business?" asked Kakashi.

It was then he noticed it as another breeze made the campfire flicker; allowing him to partially see the face of the person before him. He looked like he was no older than Naruto and the others, but there was something different about him. And then, Kakashi's gaze fell onto the figures eyes.

They were red with red comma marks surrounding the eyes.

"A Sharingan...? You...are you an Uchiha?" asked Kakashi.

"I am" said the figure as he reached up and removed his hood.

"My name is Sasuke; Sasuke Uchiha. Now, we have business to discuss."

**next time: Kakashi's dept...escape the castle...the Order of Ama...**


	15. 25 Debt of the Eye

For those who are wondering about the lack of an NO Info section over the last few chapters, the reason for that has been the simple fact that there hasn't been anything to talk about at the time. The previous ones were done because it was needed at the time, but I have said all the basic need to know stuff already.

So, all future NO Info segments will happen when there's an actual need for it; to explain something that needs explaining in the released chapter in question. Like this chapter with the full intro of the Order of Ama will be given an NO Info segment about it since having it before hand would have made no sense. This will be how the future segments will be handled; when it is needed for a chapter related storyline event.

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.25: Debt of the Eye**

"Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha."

"So you're the younger son of Fugaku and the other survivor of the massacre. Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you. Did you join another village?" asked Kakashi.

Sasuke scoffed at that before saying "Hardly as I fail to see how joining a Hidden Village would benefit me. As a shinobi of a Hidden Village, I would have to focus on my duties to said village and not were my attention needs to be. To be a shinobi of a Hidden Village is to limit myself needlessly"

"I see. So, where have you been all this time?" asked Kakashi.

"I've been wandering around, going here and there. Living the life of a Ronin. I go from place to place; seeking strong masters to teach me their powerful jutsu and fighting techniques. Once I have learned what they have to teach, I move on to find a new master. And this is why I have sought you out" said Sasuke.

Kakashi had a feeling he wasn't going to like were this was going. But still, he needed to ask anyway. "And for what reason have you sought me out?"

"Chidori; I want you to teach it to me" replied Sasuke.

"You want me to teach you my Lightning Blade?" asked Kakashi, surprised by the directness of Sasuke's request as well as the surprise that he knew about it. "How do you know about it, if I may ask?"

"From my father. He had planned on sending Itachi to you to learn the technique. But due to what has happened, it falls to me to learn it. I also saw you use it just a few minutes before and that made my interest in it only grow" said Sasuke.

_'So, it was Sasuke who killed the bandits. He was also the presence I was picking up before. He must have done this to impress me' _thought Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded. It made sense seeing as Fugaku had been present when Kakashi had been summoned by former Uchiha lord Heshiro after the death of Obito. But still, the Chidori was not a jutsu that could be taught to just anyone.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I must decline. The Chidori is not a toy to be taught to a child. I'm sorry, but I won't train you" said Kakashi s he turned and walked away.

Sasuke frowned at Kakashi's referring to him as a child which may be true in terms of his age. But he was no longer a child in mind and he would never have those innocent days back again. But then a thought came to mind which led to him smiling.

"So, does this mean you will NOT honor your oath. And oath you made on my uncle Obito's life?" asked Sasuke.

Kakashi stopped and looked back, asking "Dow do you know about that?"

"Just as I learned of the Chidori from my fathers scrolls, so to did I learn about the oath made between you and grandfather. Father wasn't happy that grandfather had allowed you to keep the Sharingan, but he was appeased when you promised an oath to my clan. And that oath was that you would fulfill one favor asked of you from the clan head, no matter what" said Sasuke.

Kakashi turned around to fully look at Sasuke and said "Though that is true, I fail to see how it applies here seeing as you are not clan head."

"Of course I am. I am my father's son. Rules of the clan specify that should the head die, leadership will fall to his son so long as he is of ten years of age or more. And since Itachi was the murderer of our father, he can't claim leadership of the clan. Thus the burden falls onto my shoulders" said Sasuke.

"But you were only seven at the time" pointed out Kakashi.

"True, but I am not seven now. And since there hasn't been another to step forward to claim the title, I gained it automatically after turning ten. So, will you honor the deal or not?" asked Sasuke, his face becoming serious.

Kakashi sighed because he knew what his answer had to be. But still, he had to try something to get out of this. "If I did teach Chidori to you, how wold you make use of it?"

"I only have a single desire for that power and that is the death of Itachi. Once Itachi is dead, I can finally focus on reviving the Uchiha Clan" replied Sasuke.

Kakashi closed his eye for a moment as he gave this some serious thought. "Alright, I'll teach it to you. But I want you to swear on the slain Uchiha Clan that you will only use Chidori against those who are evil. That it will never be turned upon the weak and innocent."

Sasuke nodded as he got down onto one knee and pulled out a small knife. He carved the crest of the Uchiha into the ground, then wiped the dirt off before cutting into the palm of his right hand. He then clenched his right hand closed so the blood could drip down onto the crest.

"By the honor of the Uchiha and the souls of those who have fallen. I, Sasuke Uchiha, swear to never turn this power onto the weak and innocent. I will only use it to smite evil and restore balance to the world" said Sasuke.

Sasuke stood back up and looked at Kakashi. "Alright, I will train you. But, only after I have reported back to the village to make sure the hostages have been returned safely and have made a report to the Hokage. Meet me in three days at Saphora Falls. I'll begin the instruction there."

Sasuke nodded before turning and heading back into the night. As Kakashi himself headed off into the darkness, his found himself thinking _'Sorry Naruto, but looks like I won't be able to honor the pledge between master and student now. But, I will make it up to you, I promise.'_

**(Jezai region)**

Once the three Konoha genin had made sure the hall was clear, Ino reverted to normal with Naruto and Shikamaru right behind here.

"What's the deal, Ino? We should stay transformed till we get to the scroll" asked Naruto quietly.

"Yeah, I kind of forget to mention this before. But...we can't do that" said Ino sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" asked Shikamaru.

"Anti-jutsu detection fields have been set up all over the castle. Any jutsu that uses a certain amount of chakra, when passing through these field points, will alert the whole castle to our presence. And that will make things interesting rather quickly" explained Ino.

"Yeah, I real good thing to forget about. So, do you at least know which way to go?" sarcastically asked Naruto.

"Of course I know that much. I'm not a complete idiot like you sometimes" said Ino.

"Oh, SOMETIMES is it? Not all the time? Well, gotta admire that honesty at least" said Naruto.

Before Ino could retort, Shikamaru quiets them and says "I think we should save this for later."

He then pointed down the hall, where they could see the shadow of an approaching guard growing on the floor. After a few moments, the guard appeared and looked down the hall, seeing nothing. He kept his gaze on the hall for a few moments more before shrugging and returning back down the hall to continue his patrol.

Once his shadow had faded away, the wall shimmered before the chamo-sheet rolled down to reveal the three nin. "A little to close there, huh?" asked Ino.

Naruto and Shikamaru nodded before Naruto asked "Would using our chakra to move along the ceiling be enough to set off the alarms?"

"I would think so, but I'm not really sure. I do know a transformation will cause the alarm to go off" said Ino.

"We'll just have to risk it if the need comes up. In any event, we better hurry. We only have a few hours left and this could take a while, depending on the guards" said Shikamaru.

"Guys, before we proceed, let my use the mind link jutsu" said Ino.

"What's that?" asked Naruto.

"A security measure for us. Once cast, we'll be able to communicate with our thoughts instead of our mouths and keep us from making any noise" explained Ino.

"Shikamaru nods and says "Do it. This way, we can speak to each other without letting anyone know we are here."

Once that was done, they silently make their way down to the end of the hall. Ino leans around to scope the next hall and found the guard missing. Moving quickly but carefully, they move down the hall till the shadow of the guard appears again.

They quickly pull up the chamo-sheet again and wait till the guard passes by before moving quickly into the next hall. This process continues until they encounter a new problem. There were no guards in the hall, but in order to proceed further, they would have to pass by a guard rest room.

And from the sounds coming from the room, there were several guards present.

"_So, chamo-sheet again?"_ asked Naruto.

Shikamaru shakes his head and says _"No good. The chamo-sheet will only work when it's still. We'd have a better chance running past the door than using the sheet to move by slowly."_

"_So, we should try running by then?"_ asked Ino.

"_Depends. How close are we to the scroll?"_ asked Shikamaru.

"_About two hundred feet and five more hallway's we'll need to get through an two more rooms to sneak by too"_ said Ino.

Shikamaru sighs before saying _"Then we have no choice. We'll use our chakra to cling to the ceiling and sneak past the room."_ He then pointed to the space between the top of the door and the ceiling.

"_What about the alarm?"_ asked Naruto.

"_We'll have to risk it"_ said Shikamaru.

Naruto and Ino nod as Shikamaru goes first, using his chakra to human fly hug the wall and crawling up onto the ceiling with Ino following him and Naruto taking up the rear. As they crawl carefully across the ceiling, they hear the sounds of guards laughing from within the room.

"_Naruto, if you dare look up my skirt, I'll kill you"_ said Ino as Naruto cleared the door himself.

Naruto angle his head to look at her and said _"But you aren't wear..."_

"_You LOOKED"_ screams Ino before slamming her foot into Naruto's face a few times before he looses chakra control and falls onto the ground.

Shikamaru sighs before saying _"Ino, you aren't wearing a skirt now. Remember, the chamo-armor."_

"_Oh, right. I forgot"_ said Ino as she and Shikamaru dropped down onto the ground. _"Sorry, Naruto."_

"_I hate you"_ said Naruto.

The sudden sound of foot steps drew their attention to the door and they quickly moved and ducked in behind the next turn just before a guard pops his head out from the room and sees nothing.

He then turns back into the room and says "Odd, I could have sworn I heard something? Must have been a mouse or something."

The three genin look at each other and nod from around the corner before taking off down the hall. They no longer had time to play it safe. Even though the castle guard didn't know they were there, they did have a suspicion and that was enough. So, the sooner they got the scroll, the better.

Making it past the remaining guards and rooms proves easy and soon, they were standing outside the large room with the scroll in it. Peaking inside, they could make out six guards and they knew that there was no getting around them with out some sort of fight.

Shikamaru pulls out some smoke pellets, then looks at Naruto and Ino who nod. Once the smoke goes off, they would need to move quickly and efficiently to knock out the guards before they could react and sound the alarm.

Taking a deep breath, Shikamaru chucks the pellets into the room. The sound of the guards movement is cut off by the sound of the smoke being released before the three of them dash into the room and each going for two guards. The whole action takes less than four seconds before the last guard hits the floor unconscious.

Once they were sure the guards had been incapacitated, they moved over and stood before the scroll.

"_You think it's booby trapped?"_ asked Naruto.

"_They'd be foolish to not have an alarm set up to it" _replied Ino.

Then, without warning, Shikamaru just reaches out and grabs it right off the shelf it was resting on, causing Naruto and Ino to look at him in shock.

Shikamaru just looks at them and says _"It's fine. Let's get out of here."_

"_What the hell? I'm suppose to be the impulsive one here"_ said Naruto.

"_Yeah, that's right. Naruto's mister stupid on our team, not you"_ adds Ino, earning a glare from Naruto.

"_I said it was fine. While you guys were chatting about it, I was looking it over and cutting the trip wire" _said Shikamaru.

He proceeds forward while Naruto and Ino just give an exasperated sigh before falling into step behind him. But just as the make it to the door, a guard walks into the room.

"OK Tetsu, I'm here to...relieve...you...GUARDS, INTRUDurk..." says/shouts the guard before Naruto shoots forward and slams his fist into the guards stomach, knocking him out from the blow.

Another guard appears from the hall, then disappears before the sound of the alarm goes off.

"Well, so much for being covert" said Ino, breaking her mind link jutsu.

"It was going to happen at some point. At least we got the scroll" adds Naruto.

"Which means we run for it and make a hasty retreat" says Shikamaru before they break into a run.

Four guards appear in the hall before them and another five from the opposite side and come running at them. Shikamaru pulls out a kunai and blocks the closest guards attack, then pushes him back into another guard. He then quickly uses his Shadow Possession jutsu to take control of these two guards and has them take on the other two.

Ino back flips, delivering a kick into the face of one guard that sends him flying back. She then easily ducks under one attack and slams her fist into the guys crotch. She then flips over two more guys while slapping her hands against their heads which causes them to collapses.

As she lands, the last guard comes in with an attack aimed at her stomach, but Naruto leaps over her and punches the guard hard in the nose. He then wall runs over and kicks the remaining guards being handled by Shikamaru and takes them out.

"Well, this is fun" joked Ino as they began to run down the hall.

"You have a weird idea of fun" retorted Shikamaru as they came upon more guards.

Naruto takes the lead and shouts "Out of the way. Shadow Clone jutsu."

The whole ground erupts with clones that take on and overwhelm the guards. The clones then rush down the hall, dealing with more guards from both sides and giving the threesome a chance to make it back to the entry door.

"How does it look out there, Shikamaru?" asked Ino as he opened the door a tad bit to peek outside.

An arrow hits the door, just a few inches from Shikamaru's face, which makes him close it quickly. "Well, unless Naruto's clones can keep up the attack momentum, we've got a problem. I think the bulk of their remaining guards are waiting in the courtyard."

"Then it's a good thing I planned ahead for this" said Naruto as he made a hand sign.

"What do you mean?" asked Ino.

Naruto smiles and says "You'll see. Shadow Sight jutsu...Shadow Meld jutsu...Shadow Shape jutsu."

"OK, what is going on?" asked Ino.

Naruto ignored here and said "Begin."

Ino and Shikamaru's attention is averted when a flash of light and a loud noise is heard from the door. This is quickly followed by a loud roar and the sound of screaming and one guard clearly shouting "MAKIAN."

They quickly open the door a little again, seeing a large humanoid demon covered in horns having appeared and slowly advancing the gathered guards. The creature scoops up a large cart and sends it flying into the gate, forcing the gate open.

"Naruto, is that...?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yup, my two clones I made earlier merged and transformed. And the added special effects and sound was curtsey of those pellets I left with them. A little something me and Kakashi-sensei made for added effect. Cool huh?" asked Naruto.

"Brilliant, totally brilliant" said Ino in amazement.

"You guys can bask in my brilliance later. Right now, lets make for the gate while the guards are distracted. As impressive as it looks, a single hit will still dispel it" said Naruto.

Nodding, the three of them rush out the door and make for the gate, throwing caution to the wind. But, Naruto's plan did it's job as no one even noticed them as they were all focused on the fake demon. And so, team Konoha slipped back into the darkness of night with the scroll and a sense of victory in hand.

The only question now was; did they good enough to receive a passing grade?

**(next day; eastern Senai region)**

Hinata and Kurenai came to a stop so as to give Hinata a chance to properly gaze upon the fullness of the Temple of Ama.

"It's really big" said Hinata in awe of the size.

"It has to be seeing as this is the heart of the Order. Actually, this is the only place the Order of Ama can call home ever since they were forced from their home on Mt. Tama" explained Kurenai.

With that, they proceeded forward till the approached the main gate. As they drew closer, the main door opened and a woman who looked to be the same age as Kurenai stepped out to greet them.

"Kurenai, it's been a while" said the woman as they came to a stop.

"It has indeed, Sakuya. Where's high mother Chiyo? I thought she would be out here to greet Hinata" asked Kurenai.

"Yeah, about that. High mother Chiyo has become ill over the last few days. And we fear that her time will soon be upon her. However, I'm sure she will still want to meet Hinata. So, please follow me" said Sakuya.

They entered into a massive room that made Hinata's eyes go wide. "Such a big room."

"It is at that, huh? This is where we sister's of Ama gather for our daily praying sessions. You see that door there on the left? That leads to a special area where guest can stay and sleep for a day or two" said Sakuya.

"Guest? I heard only members of Ama were allowed to stay here?" asked Hinata.

"Only members can live here indefinitely. However, we will allow travelers to stay here if they are in need. Some are followers of Ama who travel and some or just travelers who need a place to stay for the night" explained Kurenai.

"I'll explain more to you later, Hinata. First, we'll meet with the high mother, then I'll show you around and tell you about Ama. Then I'll show you were your room is" said Sakuya.

Hinata nods as they continue to walk towards a door in the back.

"Sakuya, you weren't here a few days ago when I first came by. Were you busy?" asked Kurenai.

"Yeah, I had some duties...outside the temple that needed to be taken care of. I just got back last night" replied Sakuya, earning a nod from Kurenai in response.

After another few minutes of walking, they soon arrived before another large door which Sakuya explained led into the high mothers personal chambers. She reaches up and knocks her closed hand against the door.

"I'm decent" came the reply from an elderly voice on the other side.

They entered into the large room and saw a kindly, elderly woman sitting on a comfy bed. As they approached, the aged leader of the Order of Ama smiled a toothy smile and said "Kurenai dear, is that you? Oh, come here and let me have a look at you."

Kurenai smiled as she said "It's good to see you to, granny Chiyo. I heard you were sick. Are you alright?"

"Oh pish posh, it's nothing to worry about. I swear, these girls are just being a couple of old worry warts. They're not letting me have any fun, the nincompoops" complains Chiyo.

Kurenai just laughed at the elderly woman's rant while Sakuya gave her a shocked looked. "High mother, we're only worried about you health. We don't want to see you leave us now is all" said Sakuya.

"Then don't be keeping me bed ridden then. I swear, I'm more likely to die from boredom than being sick" said Chiyo before she turns her attention again to Kurenai. "So tell me, dear. Have you decided to return to us yet? And have you found yourself a good man yet, hmm?"

Kurenai blushes a deep crimson as she says "I...women in my profession usually don't get married. It's unpractical. And I'm happy back home."

"So, in other words, there is a guy seeing how flustered you're getting. But pity that you don't want to return to us. Oh well, maybe another time, right dear?" said Chiyo with a knowing smile.

"Miss Kurenai, were you a member of the Order in the past?" asked Hinata, bringing everyone's attention back onto her.

"I'll tell you all about Kurenai's time with us later. But for now, let's get back to the business at hand" said Sakuya before turning to look at the high mother and said "Mother Chiyo, my I introduce Hinata, the girl Kurenai brought to us."

"It's an honor to meet you, ma'am" said Hinata as she stepped forward and made a curtious bow.

Chiyo smiled and said "Well, aren't you a pretty one. Kurenai was right about you being one of a kind. Especially your eyes. They truly are a beautiful sight."

Hinata had at first been nervous when her eyes had been brought up, but hearing what Chiyo said about them made her blush and ask "Do you really think so? I don't think they're that special."

Chiyo waves her off and says "Oh, don't be so modest, my dear. I think they are lovely myself. And even though my eye sight isn't what it use to be, even I can see that you are something special and unique. A truly one of a kind girl. That's why I know you'll do great things here. Welcome to our Order."

Hinata blushes and says "Thank you, high mother."

Chiyo nods, then looks at Sakuya and says "Will you take Hinata around for me and show her the place and help her get settled in? I'd do it myself, but you all won't let me get out of bed."

"That's the plan, high mother" said Sakuya. "Well, we'll be going now."

Chiyo nods, then she looks at Kurenai and says "Male sure you come to visit us more often, OK dear."

"I will, granny" said Kurenai before the three girls turned and exited the room.

Once they were gone, Chiyo got out of bed and walked over to her book case and pulled out a rather old looking tome. Once she was settled back into her bed again, she opened the tome up and flip through several pages before coming to a stop and smiled a little.

_'It would seem that day you promised has finally arrived. And on a personal note, my dream has come true after all. I was able to meet the one you said would be coming to us; the one who would guide us into a new future...Amarillo' _thought Chiyo as she looked at the picture on this particular page.

The picture of a girl with pearl like eyes.

Back at the entrance of the temple, Kurenai looked at Hinata and said "Don't be afraid to ask them something if you need to. And once Naruto returns from the test, I'll make sure he is given time to come see you."

Hinata nods, then says Miss Kurenai, thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me."

Kurenai nods, then hugs Hinata before turning away and heading out to return home. Once she had disappeared from sight, Sakuya places her hand on Hinata's shoulder to get her attention.

"OK Hinata, what do you say we go get a bite to eat, then give you the full tour of the temple and show you to your room so you can unpack your things."

Hinata nods and the two of them reenter the temple to begin Hinata's new life...

**next time: The second test begins...the ancient comes to Konoha...**

**N.O. Info**

**The Order of Ama**

(Chiyo) Greetings dearies, my name is Chiyo and I'll being giving you a brief and to the point history lesson on the Order of Ama and our founder; Amarillo. Plus, I have nothing better to do because those ninnies won't let me get out of bed and have some fun in my declining years.

(Sakuya) Did you say something, mother?

(Chiyo) Who me? Oh no no no, I would never say anything bad about you kids. …..Where was I again? Oh yes, the history of the Order.

It all began a long time ago, during the age of the legendary Rikudo Senin. It started with the birth of Amarillo, a very special girl with golden blonde hair and piercing sapphire blue eyes. It was obvious to everyone who knew her that Amarillo was special.

The reason for this was because she could sense things that no one else could. She also had this amazing healing power. She could even see the spirit world, or so the story goes. It is also believed that even the Rikudo Senin himself took an interest in the girl and took her on as his student.

Amarillo would journey around, using her special skills to help heal those who were in need of healing. Over time, she gained quite a following and she herself became a teacher after finding a way to teach other these sacred, healing arts that only she had been capable of performing at one time.

Near the end of her life, Amarillo learned that she herself was a human reincarnation of a spirit of the other world and because of all the good she had done, it was revealed that when she died, her spirit would transcend and she would become a goddess of light.

After learning of this, Amarillo worked even harder to help the world and after her death, her followers formed the Order of Ama to continue her work while offering prayers to their ascended leader. It is said Amarillo appeared one final time after becoming a goddess and gave us of her order a final message to lead us into the future.

(Sakuya) I think that's enough talking for now, mother. I'm sure we can tell them more later.

(Chiyo) Fine, fine. That's it for today. But before I go, I'll say this one last thing. There is something special about our Order and you'll learn what it is when Hinata does. _wink wink_

(Sakuya) HIGH MOTHER, DON"T TELL THEM THAT. THAT'S ALL A SECRET...


	16. 26 Through the Forest Darkly 1

**Keyote Note:** Sorry about the delay as I have been busy with my personal life (and playing Ultimate Ninja Storm 2). The next chapter of RMN will be out next week (if not Friday or Saturday if I can finish it in time).

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.26: Through the Forest Darkly 1**

The six teams stood side by side with their sensei's as Konan carefully looked over the chart in her hand. She had just returned from Ame from reporting to the Grand Daimyo and was now ready to get the test moving onto the next phase.

"We will now begin the second part of the Shadow Test, so stay quiet and listen well to what I have to say" said Konan, making sure that she had their attention on her.

Once she was sure of this, she says "As you know, we normally have a capture the flag like event in which each team is set against the others and you are all assigned to try to steal a scroll from another team, then make it to a specific location with two or more scrolls within a time limit."

"However, we have decided to try something different with this test" said Konan, earning a surprised mummer from everyone gathered.

"This new test we have devised will play out like this. Instead of trying to steal a scroll from each other, you will instead be focused on simply trying to get to a predetermined location within a set time period" said Konan.

"That's it? That seems rather simple and quaint" said Sora of the Kiri team.

"It does at first, but I'm afraid that things are never that simple. Now, here's where this test will get tricky, if not down right nasty" said Konan.

"We will go into this test as a continuation of the first and will assume the castle, from which you six teams have stolen a scroll from, has hired a group of bounty hunters to head out, find you, and take back the scroll" said Konan.

"So basically, this is gonna be a race against time with hunters on our heels?" asked Yusuke of Iwa.

"It's so much more than that. In addition to this issue, each of your teams will be forced to pass through a particular place called the Forest of Death in order to get to the tower located within the center, which for the sake of this test will stand in for each of your respected Hidden Villages" said Konan.

"What's the time limit?" asked Temari.

"The same as the original version of the second test; three days total to get to the tower will the stolen scroll. Also note that the whole Forest from one side to another is a total of 10k in length with the tower located at the 5k center of the forest" explained Konan.

"That doesn't seem that hard. Any of our teams could make that in a few hours or so" said Ino.

Konan nods and says "True, but the Forest of Death isn't your normal forest. In addition to the man eating beast and plants...and yes, I did mean PLANTS. The forest also has a weird atmosphere within it that can have an unusual effect on a person's senses and can cause people to hallucinate."

"And of course, there's also the fact you will be having the hunters tracking you all down to steal your scrolls. And yes, failure to keep you scroll safe and arrive with it will result in failing this second test" said Konan.

"How many hunters will there be? And will they observe the same rule as the samurai back in the castle towards us?" asked Yuna of the Kumo.

"There will be six total; one for each team. And yes, they will not aim to actually kill any of you. But that doesn't mean that no one will die as a result of an accident due to being stupid. And now, allow me to introduce the six hunters whom you all will likely have to battle and beat to advance" said Konan.

At those words, six blurs shoot out from the tree line and land behind her. They were fully draped in dark clothes that fully covered their bodies except for their mouths. They also had visors covering their eyes.

"These are the Six Phantoms of Ame; Ghost, Human, Hell, Demon, Animal, and God" said Konan as she pointed to each figure.

"Boy, that sure got some interesting names" said Naruto.

"Actually, those are more like titles than actual names. As for what these titles mean? Well, maybe you all will find out if you encounter them during the test. And just so you know, the visors they are wearing will protect them from the atmosphere of the forest, thus giving them an advantage. That might seem unfair, but I will say that you will have twelve hours within the forest to make it to the tower before they begin their hunt for you all" explained Konan.

Seeing that they understood this, Konan then turns away and says "Now follow me. We're heading to the forest now."

As they proceeded down the path Konan was leading them on; Naruto, Gaara, Ukataka, Yuna, Roushi, and Killer Bee couldn't help but feel a little uneasy around the Six Phantoms. There was just something about them that was...unsettling about them.

After about forty minutes of walking, they came to a stop outside a massive fenced off area with warning signs of various wordings written on them.

"Beyond these barriers lies the Forest of Death. Now, before you proceed with the second test, each team will draw lots as will the Phantoms. There are over twenty entry gates wrapped around the forest perimeter and these lots will determine which door you shall all use" said Konan as she produced a small box from a scroll.

One by one, each team went up and pulled out a lot. Once this was all done, Konan says "Alright, the first door on the left is numbered 1st and it goes round in a clockwise fashion that leads to the 30th door which is the first one on the right."

"Before you each head off to your respective door, remember that you will have twelve hours to figure out the forest and make it to the end before the Phantoms begin their hunt and you all have three days to make it to the tower with your scroll intact. As before, I wish you all luck. Trust me, you'll need it" said Konan before she turned and walked away.

With that, each team turned and either headed left or right, depending on which path was the quicker way to their respective door.

"Hayate-sensei, is this a normal occurrence for the test?" asked Ino.

"No, it's not. But the Grand Daimyo is allowed to make changes if he feels it necessary" said Hayate, though he wasn't quite so sure about this.

"What about this forest? Can you tell us anything about it?" asked Shikamaru.

"I wish I could, but I know that Ame changes the conditions for each test using all sorts of powerful jutsu. The only real piece of advice I can offer is this. Stay alert during your time within and be mindful of even the tiniest of details in the forest. This could spell the difference between victory and failure."

"When will we learn how we did on the first test? Or is the fact we're doing the second test a good sign?" asked Naruto.

"All teams will take part in all three test, unless you violate any rule that gets you kicked out of the exam. After the final test, the head proctor will reveal the results of all the test and then reveal if you passed or failed the overall test" said Hayate.

Once they were standing at their gate, Hayate reaches out and presses the alert button the allowed Konan to know they had arrived. After a few more minutes, a siren was heard and then the gate opened up to allow the genin inside.

"Stay on your guard while your in there. And don't forget, anything and everything in there could be dangerous to you three. So, don't go dying on me now" said Hayate.

"Right" said all three of them before they turned and entered into the forest.

As the door slid closed, Hayate turned away and begin to walk back to the waiting area.

_'While we're waiting for them to pass, maybe it's time I had a talk with my fellow Jonin and see if they have been getting the same uncertain feeling that I've been getting' _thought Hayate as he moved along the path.

**(Konoha)**

"Lord Hokage, we may have a possible situation happening here" said the masked ninja who was kneeling before Sarutobi.

"What do you mean?" asked Sarutobi.

"The entry area of the village has been covered in a dense fog. And though we can't detect any chakra coming from the fog, we still get an ominous feeling off of it" replied the masked nin.

Sarutobi ran a hand down his short beard before getting out of his chair and said "I'll go and investigate this myself."

Outside an at the entrance of the village, about thirty Chunin and Jonin had gathered and stood at the edge of the fog. They were already tense as it was, but it was when they finally noticed two figures appearing within the fog and approaching them that led them to bring their kunai out and readied for battle.

"So,we're finally here, grandmother" said the taller of the two figures.

"Indeed we are. Although, I fear I took longer in coming here than I should have" said the smaller and slightly bent form in the fog.

After another moment, the two figures had come close enough to allow the gathered shinobi a better look at them.

The taller of the two was a young girl of fifteen or sixteen with bright green colored hair. She also had lightly tanned skin and was wearing a green tunic and blue trousers. She also had what appeared to be a broach in the shape of a beetle on the left chest of her tunic.

The smaller of the two was an elderly woman who appeared really ancient, with almost grayish colored skin and bone white hair. She was wearing simple red colored clothes and a brown shawl, both of which had faded coloring. And she was using a cane to help with walking.

"HALT. State your business and your names" said one Jonin as he walked up to them.

"Hmm, you don't look like the Hokage. So, will you be kind enough to take us to him. I have things I wish to discuss with him" replied the elderly woman.

"What do you want with lord Hokage?" asked the Jonin.

"Nothing that concerns you. Please do what grandma asked and take us to see him" replied the girl.

"Not until you answer the questions" replied the Jonin.

"What a stubborn little boy you are. Come along child, we will go look for him ourselves" said the old woman and she takes a step forward.

The Jonin steps forward and halts the woman with his hand and says "You will not..."

He doesn't finish as the green haired girl suddenly lunges forward and sends a palm slamming hard into his stomach, sending the Jonin flying back and hitting the ground hard. With in a flurry of motion, the two outsiders find themselves surrounded by the rest of the Chunin and Jonin present.

"Fuu dear, I think you need to learn a little thing called moderation" said the woman.

"Sorry grandmother. But I was afraid he was going to hurt you" replied Fuu.

"Well, your heart was in the right place, so don't worry about it" said the woman and she looked around at the gathered nin. "Well, it would seem you won't indulge us in our request. I guess I'll have to force you to help us."

"Grandma, please let me handle this for you" asked Fuu as she stepped forward.

"Kind of you to offer, but no. It has been a while since I got any real exercise and this will be a good refresher course for me. Besides, you have a bad habit of getting...a little carried away when you fight" said the elderly woman.

Fuu nods and steps back to give her elder the space she knew she was going to need.

"So, you won't surrender?" asked another Jonin.

"To a bunch of infants like yourselves? That would be an insult to me" replied the elderly woman.

Seeing as she wasn't going to comply, one Chunin ran up to her, hoping to end this quickly without hurting her to much. The elder's response was to lift her cane up and then, and a blurred motion, clocked the Chunin with her cane and knocked him out with a single hit.

The other nin were at first surprised and shocked by this, but then they all decided to go at her at once seeing as they realized that this woman may be stronger than they had expected. But just as they go to charge, the elderly woman surprises them again by jumping clear over them, landing behind them and giving them a toothy smile while swinging her cane back and forth with a finger and whistling.

"What's wrong, kiddies? Is this old woman to much for you to handle?" she asked jokingly.

The nin charged her again and the elder shot at them to with amazing speed. She uses her cane to smack one nin right between the eyes, then swung it around and clocked another nin along the side of his head. She then jumped up and over in a spin while dodging another attack and swung her cane down and sent him flying from the hit.

Another nin tries to attack her with his sword, but she easily blocks it with her cane, the knocks it out of his hand before leaping up and landing three rapid kicks into the mans upper body. As she lands, she notices the remaining nin have surrounded her, leading her to sigh before giving them all a sly grin.

They all charge her at once and the elder responds by planting her cane into the ground and raises herself into the air. She the supports herself with a single hand holding the cane while using her free hand and both feet to send a never ending volley of attacks into the shinobi.

In just a matter of moments, the fight was over as the elder comes to rest on the ground again and looking at the nin laying motionless on the ground. "Grandmother, what was that you were saying about getting carried away?" asked Fuu as she walks up.

"I'm allowed seeing as I'm a grown up" she replied with a wink.

"Hmm, it would seem you're still a formidable opponent, elder Mada" said Sarutobi as he came walking up.

"I can still bust a move when needed. But between you and me, your village could use a refresher course in battle tactics" replied Mada.

"Indeed. So tell me, what brings you all the way back here again?" asked Sarutobi while additional nin showed up to help their defeated companions.

"I think you know why I'm here. May we go back to you office and talk in private? After all, this is something that isn't needed to be heard by your whole village" said Mada.

Sarutobi nods and they turn and head towards the shinobi HQ. As they walk, Sarutobi looks back at Fuu and ask "Who's she?"

"My precious granddaughter, of course" replied Mada while Fuu made a quick bowing motion.

_'I wonder...' _though Sarutobi who had his doubts about that.

Once they had arrived, Mada looks at Fuu and says "You wait out here, dear. I won't be to long."

Fuu nods as Mada and Sarutobi enter into his office and take their seats. "It's been a long while since you last visited us here, right Mada? Thirteen years if I'm not mistaken" said Sarutobi.

Mada's expression darkens as she says "Why have you failed to keep your promise?"

"Pardon?" asked Sarutobi.

"Don't play dumb with me. You may be an old fart now, but I seriously doubt your mind has really degraded to that extent. What do you think I'm talking about? Why have you failed to train Naruto like you promised?" asked Mada.

"But we have been training him. He attended the academy like the other kids and is now being taught as a genin under the instruction of one of our best Jonin sensei's. In fact, he's currently taking the Shadow Test right now" said Sarutobi defensively.

"Cut the bull, Hokage. You damn well know what I'm referring to here. Why have you failed to help him begin learning to control the power of the Kyubi within him? When I came here thirteen years before, I had ever intention of taking Naruto with me and training him myself personally to control that power. But, you assured me that you would be able to do that and would that. Why haven't you?" asked Mada angrily.

"Things have been...difficult here. I have had more trouble with my advisers and the village in general over Naruto than I had expected. Because of that, training him in the way I said I would has been made practically impossible" said Sarutobi.

"Excuses, what a sad attempt from a man such as yourself. The Hiruzen Sarutobi; the Third Hokage that I heard about, would never have allowed his advisers or this village dictate your actions. And worse is how that boy's life has been up till now. If I had known that this was going to happen, I would have taken him back then. At least he's been better off and likely happier too" said Mada.

Sarutobi didn't say anything because he knew she was right. It seemed that he had been able to do nothing but fail for the last decade or two. And worse yet was the fact that he knew Naruto could be so much more now, if only he had been given the attention he had needed and deserved.

"I should never have left him here" said Mada with a sigh. But, she then adds "At least something good came out of me leaving him here."

"And what is that?" asked Sarutobi.

"Never you mind for it has nothing to do with you. I have several other things we are gonna discuss" said Mada.

_'Besides, this is something that should only be revealed to Naruto and Hinata anyways' _she adds mentally.

"Have you come here to take Naruto with you?" asked Sarutobi.

"There will be no need for me to do this. He will come to me soon enough and I will train him personally. No, what I have to say is much more grave to you all in Konoha" said Mada.

"And that is?" asked Sarutobi.

"Sometime within the next year, this Hidden Village called Konoha will be engulfed in the fire of hatred and many will burn" said Mada.

Sarutobi's eyes go wide with shock as he ask "What...? How do you know this? And who will commit this act?"

"How I know is of no importance. As for the who? I can say this much. The albino with a grudge as dark as the blackest night and the eyes like a snake" said Mada.

Sarutobi felt himself becoming pale as his breath escapes him. "Orochimaru..."

"I believe that is his name. He will return and burn all of this in the fires born of his hatred" said Mada/

"Please Mada, tell me. Is there anyway I can avoid this? Is there anyway to save this village?" asked Sarutobi in a pleading voice.

Mada shakes her head and says "I'm afraid it's to late. And you know the reason why this is so. And it's all because of you. You are an old man, yet you haven't started training a viable heir to succeed you as Hokage. You have foolishly chosen to ignore the obvious and kept a firm hold on your position. And now, you no longer have what it takes to defend this village, let alone lead her correctly."

"But there hasn't been anyone to be born into the village with the necessary skill needed to become..." Sarutobi starts to say, but is cut off by Mada.

"Another sad excuse I see. You say there isn't a viable candidate to become Hokage? I say you're being senile. There are several good choices to be your successor. But your desire to stay Hokage for just a little bit longer has blinded you more than you know. Face it, this village will end because of you" said Mada.

"Elder Mada, please tell me...is there anything you can tell me that will change this dark fate?" asked Sarutobi.

"There are some options. But no, I will not help you. Not after you failed Naruto as badly as you have" said Mada.

"Then why did you come here then?" asked Sarutobi.

"Just to let you know these truths. I wanted you to understand the why of it all. And now, I will take my leave of you and this village. Oh, but there is one more thing..." said Mada as she reached her free hand out.

Immediately, a secret vault opened in the wall and a scroll shot out from the vault and landed in her hand. Sarutobi was quick in getting to his feet as he made an attempt to grab the scroll, but Mada easily blocks him with her cane.

"Mada, I'm afraid I can't let that scroll leave this room" said Sarutobi seriously.

Mada just smiles at him and says "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter. After all, everything contained within this scroll belongs to Naruto, am I right?"

Sarutobi just looks away and says "Yes..."

"I thought so. Even more shameful of you; keeping this boy's birthrights from him. Am I right in assuming that you might have even tried to unlock the secrets of the items contained here in?" asked Mada.

"Yes, we thought it would benefit the village" said Sarutobi sadly.

"I am truly disappointed with you. Did you really think you could unlock the secrets? Hah, only Naruto can do this. Now, let me see here" said Mada as she focused on the scroll.

"Hmm, Minato's and Kushina's diaries and journals...their technique notebooks...Minato's flame jacket...the Shift Anchors...where's the Star Locket of Silhouette?" asked Mada.

"I gave that one to Naruto already for his seventh birthday. What are you going to do with those items?" asked Sarutobi.

"Give them to Naruto when he comes to me" said Mada as she opens the door.

"We shall never meet again, old man. Enjoy these remaining months while you can, Sarutobi" said Mada before she left the room and Sarutobi behind her.

"Are we finished here, grandmother?" asked Fuu as she fell into step beside Mada.

"Yes. Fuu dear, I have a special task I need you to do for me" said Mada as they exited the building.

Mada makes a slight motion with her hand, causing a dense fog to suddenly form before them. As they walk in, Mada begins to give Fuu her instructions and once they were fully engulfed within the fog, the fog quickly vanishes from sight.

**(Jonin waiting area)**

"You seem to be troubled by something, Konoha" said Roushi as he walked up to Hayate.

Hayate turned and looked at his Iwa counterpart before asking "Is it really that obvious?"

"A little, but it's not a feeling solely shared by you alone. So tell me what's troubling you" asked Roushi.

Chojuro and Baki walked over while Killer Bee remained at his spot while Hayate carefully thought about what it was he could say. After all, they were in a Jezai controlled area and there was a chance that they were being watched and listened to.

"Have any of you noticed anything strange since arriving here for the Shadow Test?" asked Hayate finally.

"What do you mean?" asked Chojuro.

"I don't know. It just seems that something is...off somehow. This sudden change in the second test, though not unheard of, doesn't feel right for some reason. And that girl, Konan; I get an uneasy feeling from her and I don't know why. And then there's this business about this new Hidden Village. It just feels odd to me, and not in a good way either" explained Hayate.

"I agree. One oddity is nothing to worry about. Two is a little off, but still acceptable. But three oddities is one to many" said Roushi.

"I've been feeling uneasy too. But my unease comes from the forest itself. I remember how it felt when I was taking the Shadow Test, which was creepy. But the feeling I got from the forest this time felt...just wrong to me" adds Chojuro.

"I'm especially weary of these ninja of Oto. And where did their Jonin sensei go anyways? We were all suppose to meet up here after seeing our teams enter into the forest. But he has yet to show up. Nor have we seen the group from Ame either" says Hayate.

There was quiet for a moment before Killer Bee says "This is indeed whack, think'n we're being jacked."

Though a little...yeah, they all nodded none the less.

"There's something I want to say about all of this" said Baki, getting everyone's attention.

"Before I speak on it though, I need to ask if any of you have heard the rumor that's been coming from the Jezai region? More specifically, from out of Ame itself?" asked Baki.

Hayate and Chojuro shook their heads. Killer Bee just shrugged. But Roushi says "I've been hearing things, but I'm not sure if it's what your village has heard."

Baki nods, then says "OK, then I'll go ahead and tell you all. In a nut shell, the rumor is that a new power has taken control of Ame."

"What do you mean?" asked Chojuro.

"Well, we had heard rumors that the Grand Daimyo; Hanzo the Salamander had been attacked and was missing and that Ame was now being ruled over by a new Grand Daimyo who was leading the rest of Shumoa to believe Hanzo was still in charge" said Baki.

"Is that even possible? Someone being powerful enough to remove Hanzo from power?" asked Hayate.

"That's what the 4th Kazekage was thinking, which is why he sent a spy into Ame to learn the truth despite the risk that could bring onto our village" said Baki.

"What did the spy learn?" asked Roushi.

"Well, when he reported back, he said that everything appeared normal. But..." said Baki, looking away.

"But what?" asked Chojuro.

"Even though everything seemed normal. He said that the feel of everything felt...different somehow. He didn't know how to describe it. But there was something in the air that made him feel uneasy. Also, the people of Ame were always talking about a "God" that was watching over them" said Baki.

"Are they talking about Amarillo or maybe that Janshin cult God?" asked Roushi.

"Neither from what he had gathered. He didn't get a name, but they talked as if this "God" had descended from above and had freed them from the darkness, or something like that" said Baki.

"All of these odd events and all happening within the same time frame. Something is indeed wrong" said Hayate.

"So what do you suggest?" asked Baki.

"Well, if you all agree with me. Maybe we should take an opportunity to do something looking around while we're all here. If there is something fowl afoot within the Jezai, then we should learn of it less it becomes a threat to all of our villages. Besides, if there is any danger to our kids, we have a duty to remove that danger before it can harm them" said Hayate.

Roushi, Chojuro, and Baki nodded. They then looked to Killer Bee who simply replies "They think we fools, I say they fools. If this nasty a trap, then we better fight back."

Despite the god awful rap, they got what he was saying. And so, the five of them began to talk about how they should proceed with this search.

_'So, they've already started to suspect fowl play. And here I thought I'd have to be the one to bring it up. Oh well, either way, at least I can move on to my plans' _thought Salizar as he smiled before turning and heading towards the forest.

**Next time: The Forest of Death**


	17. 27 Through the Forest Darkly 2

RMN 40 will be out Friday.

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.27: Through the Forest Darkly 2**

**(Temple of Ama)**

Hinata placed a small bookmark inside the old tome before she closed the book on the history of the order and the story of Amarillo. Taking in a deep breath. She then sat back in her chair and looked up into the ceiling of her room.

_'I never would have imagined things like this being reality' _she thought as he mind remembered the stuff she had read about.

It was true though as she had never guessed the world, at least the Shumoa region, had such a broad and deep a history as it did. It was all overwhelming to her. And yet, she couldn't help but feel that something was off some how. Was there something of the story she had yet to read?

It was possible. After all, as time passes, truth fades away and gives rise to myth and legends which are just simple to outlandish exaggerations of truth. Maybe she could go talk with Sakuya about it? Or maybe mother Chiyo?

The sudden sound of knocking against her door made Hinata jump a little. "Just a minute" she said as she got up from her seat and walked over to the door.

"Can I help...you...?" said Hinata as she opened her door and found no one outside.

Confused, she poked her head outside and looked down both paths within the hall and found no one in sight. "Hello? Did someone knock on my door?" she asked aloud, getting no response in return.

Shrugging it off and assuming that her mind had been playing tricks on her, she closed her door and turned to head back to her desk when her eyes suddenly fell onto the green haired girl sitting on her bed.

"Ah...I mean...I'm sorry for shouting like that. Um, were you the one who knocked at my door?" asked Hinata.

The girl stands up and nods. "I see. So, how did you get in here? I opened the door and my window was closed" asked Hinata.

"Does it really matter? We have things to talk about and I'd like to finish up and leave before anyone discovers I'm here" said the green haired girl.

"We have things to talk about? And who are you exactly? Are you a new member here like me?" asked Hinata, who noticed the girl wasn't wearing the robes of the priestess order.

"No, I'm not a member. Hence why I wish to get down to business. But if you need to have a name attached to me; then just call me Fuu" said Fuu.

"Nice to meet you, Fuu. My name is..." Hinata, but Fuu cuts in mid sentence.

"Hinata, I know. My grandmother asked me to come deliver a message to you" said Fuu.

"To me?" asked Hinata.

"Well, not exactly. This message is actually meant for Naruto. You're juts going to be the middle woman in this" said Fuu.

"Oh, OK. So, should I give Naruto the message the next time I see him?" asked Hinata.

"No, seeing as your next talk with him will be sooner than this message is needed to be delivered" said Fuu.

"Then when should I give it to him?" asked Hinata.

"You'll know when the time is right. Or, should I say, I'll make it to where it'll be passed on when the time is right. Also, I must apologize in advance for this. But I promise it won't hurt" said Fuu.

"What do you me..." asked Hinata before Fuu quickly advanced on her, the green haired girl's eyes shifting and becoming almost bug like.

Immediately, Hinata's eyes become cloudy and vacant as she enters into a trance like state.

_'I'll have to make this quick. With her special eyes, she won't stay under my Chisinau gaze for long' _thought Fuu.

"OK Hinata, listen well to what I have to tell you..." said Fuu as she started giving Hinata her instructions.

**(Forest of Death - Iwa team)**

"Oh wow, what a fascinating discovery. Hey guys, come check this out" said Karin excitedly as she stood over a rather rare species of fauna.

"Hey look Shino, four eyes is having another one of her discovery obsessions again" joked Yusuke before laughing at Karin.

"Yusuke, you jerk. Why do you have to be an ass when ever I get excited about something?" shouts Karin as she looks at her teammate.

"Because you're such a freak for finding rare oddities that can't normally be found back home. I swear, you act like such a little kid sometime. Add to that you still having the body of a seven year old boy; you'll never find a guy to marry you hahaha" laughs Yusuke.

"How dare you call me a freak. And what the hell do you mean I have the body of a seven year old boy? Do you have any last words before I rip your jewels off" shouts Karin.

"I call it like I see it. And you have to admit that you do have the body of a little boy. You see the bods of those other kunoichi? Now you could tell that they were real girls, unlike you" says Yusuke.

"And how do you figure?" asked Karin as she thought over just how to go about castrating him.

"Well, they had curves and boobs and butts on them. You, on the other hand, don't. Those girls from Kono and Kumo especially had the kind of bodies I would love to see more off. Maybe instead of being a freak all the time, you should focus on trying to become a girl, four eyes" said an amused Yusuke.

"Oh that's it, you are SO DEAD" shouts Karin before charging her teammate.

"Now now you two, did you forget we're doing an important mission here. Can't this wait till the test is fully over?" asked Shino as he stepped in between them.

"Yeah, you're right Shino" said Yusuke before he turned around and began to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going? We need to get to that tower before those hunters get released into the forest" shouts Karin after him.

"I know, I know. I'll be right back. I've got to take a leak" shouts back Yusuke.

Karin braced herself for another one of his snide remarks, like "and don't follow since I can't piss with another guy around" or something to that extent, but she was surprised when he didn't.

"Fascinating" said Shino, catching Karin's attention.

She turns around and sees him kneeling down by the fauna that she had been looking at. "Oh, you think so too? At least there's one of you guys I can work with. I'm not sure exactly, but I think that this particular plant is a...huh?" says Karin as she walks closer to Shino and then stops.

Shino wasn't looking at the plant, but rather the small insect that was moving around it. Shino gently reached down and picket it up to have a closer look at it.

Karin sighs in exasperation, but then smiles as she thinks _'Shino, you're such a bug freak. But at least you're a good person too. Unlike that pervert Yusuke.'_

About ten yards away, Yusuke sighed in relief as he finished doing his business by a bush. As he finished pulling his pants up, the sound of rustling from a nearby tree made him go onto alert.

"Hello, is anyone out there?" he shouts into the forest.

As he looks around and gets no reply, he smiles a little and says "Is that you Karin? It's alright, you can come out if you want. I know I must be the guy of your dreams and all that and if Shino isn't here with you, we can have a few private moments if you want to see something you've never seen before."

Truth was, Yusuke actually had quite a crush on her. Though it was true he wanted a girl who was shapely and had both a nice butt and good to great breast, he couldn't deny that there was something about tomboyish Karin that made him want to make a woman out of her.

"It's OK four eyes. There's no need to be shy. Just show your face and give it to me" said Yusuke, having no doubt that it was Karin who was there with him, though hiding.

"Very well, I will" came a voice as a figure emerged from the tree line and headed right at Yusuke.

The Iwa genin didn't have time to either move or to even yell for help from his team before it was to late.

**(Forest of Death – Kumo team)**

"Damn, just how much longer are we gonna have to walk? I swear, it feels like we've been marching for hours here" complains Omoi as he trudges along with his arms hanging slumped before him.

"Shut up, Omoi. I swear, you can be such a baby sometimes. And we've only been walking for an hour here" says Karui, exasperated over her teammates constant complaining.

"An hour, several hours, it's all the same to me. Hey Yugito, how much longer is this gonna..." ask Omoi before Karui spins around and sends her fist into Omoi's gut.

"SHUT UP YOU IDIOT. Have you forgotten OUR TEAMMATE IS NAMED YUNA?" screams Karui.

"Of course I didn't forget, she devil. But we're in the middle of the forest now. I doubt anyone is nearby to hear us. So why can't I say hey, guess what people. We have a chunin here with us instead of three ge..." says Omoi before Karui sends her knee into Omoi's face as hard as she could.

"MORON, did you forget the wrist bands they gave us? They may be able to record sound along with visuals" shouts Karui.

Omoi gets back to his feet while rubbing his sore gut and chin as he says "Like I said, who cares if they do or not. We do have another reason for being here. ….And if you hit me again, I won't be so kind about it."

"OH, THAT'S IT" roars Karui as she goes to put Omoi in his place, but they both freeze as they feel a cold presence come over them.

"That's enough you two" said Yuna as she gave them a cold glare.

This quieted them down, thus allowing them to continue their walk in peace.

After a few minutes, Omoi decides to ask again. "Seriously though, Yugi...ah...Yuna, just how much further do we have to go. And what did that proctor mean about there being tricks to this place?"

"The trick isn't important. And besides, we won't be making for the tower till the third day unless I say otherwise" said Yuna as she focused on the path before her.

"How come?" asked Karui.

"Don't forget our REAL mission here. We are to determine if any of the other villages Jinchurriki are here at the exam. Before we head to the tower, we need to find the teams from Iwa, Suna, Kiri, and Konoha and observe them for a while" said Yuna.

"But how will you know if there's a Jinchurriki among them?" asked Omoi.

"It will be easy with my Nibi-sense" replied Yuna.

"What about those Phantoms that are gonna be hunting us?" inquired Karui.

"We'll deal with them if any come upon us" said Yuna.

Omoi and Karui said no more and Yuna returned to her thoughts. Right now, she was wondering what was the most annoying. Having to stay in this transformed state and alternate identity that was Yuna, dealing with these annoying genin teammates of her's, or the fact she had to listen to Killer Bee rap the whole way here and will have to again on the way back.

Actually, she loved both Killer Bee and the Raikage like brothers. Hell, they had even adopted her into their family as an honorary sister for them. But, both could be annoying and hard to deal with. At least this mission did offer one thing she actually liked.

It was given her a chance to meet their Jinchurriki brother's and sister's.

**(Forest of Death – Kiri team)**

"Sora, are you detecting anything?" asked Kabuto as he looked at his female teammate.

"Yeah, there's definitely a barrier of some great potency at work here. And...I think the normal means to release this barrier won't work here" replied Sora as she came out of her trance.

"I see" replied Kabuto as he thought about this situation.

To the naked eye, Sora appeared to be a battle-centric girl, what with her massive spear and her oftentimes combative attitude. But this was mostly a front for her. Though she could battle with her spear, her truth strength's lied in her sensory abilities. There was no one in all of Kiri more skilled as a sensor than her, not even the 5th Mizukage.

"Ukataka, do you think you can dispel it?" asked Kabuto.

The young man in the light blue robes simply blew into his pipe and released a few bubbles into the air before looking to Kabuto and said "I doubt it. A barrier like this one; I would need to have more information on it's construction and full functions in order to properly break it."

"Well, this certainty creates a pickle for us" said Kabuto. He then looks at Sora again and ask "Any suggestion's?"

Sora closes her eyes to do another quick sense, then says "I think there are breach points scattered about. Small spots were the barrier isn't active, thus allowing progress. Maybe we should split up and search for these spots."

"I guess we have no choice then. Can you help me know how to detect them?" asked Kabuto.

Both Sora and Ukataka walked over to Kabuto and Sora did a link with Kabuto's mind to help him know what to look for. Kabuto then creates three thin chakra strings, then plants a kunai into the ground and ties each string to the kunai. He then hands two of the strings to his teammates.

"To make sure we don't get lost. Use your chakra to help extend the strings. We'll meet back up here in six hours. Use that time to look around as much as possible" said Kabuto.

Ukataka and Sora before they each head off in separate directions. As he moved through the tree lines, Kabuto smiled a little to himself. This little task would give him enough time to check in with the Oto team and give them a little present to help them out with.

**(Forest of Death – Konoha team)**

The somewhat quiet sounds of the forest was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a girls screams. And the girl in question was Ino as she jumped behind Naruto to use him as a shield to protect herself from...a little fluffy tailed rabbit?

"Um, Ino. What's with the scream fest? Don't tell me you're scared of that cute little bunny?" asked Naruto, perplexed by his female teammates reaction.

"A cute little bunny, my ass. That beast has fangs and his eyes were glowing too" shouts Ino.

Naruto rolls his eyes and walks forward while saying "Oh come on, you have got to be kidding me here. How can something so sweet and innocent looking be what you said it was?"

The rabbit just bounces a little as Naruto picks it up and looks it in the eyes. "See Ino, he isn't scary at all. Isn't that right, you fluffy wuffy cute little thing. I think I'll take him with us and give him to Hinata as a present. Is that cool with you, Fluffy?"

The rabbit's response is to suddenly produce fangs from it's mouth as his eyes glow blood red before it bites Naruto on the nose, making Naruto drop the rabbit as he yelps in pain.

"Ah damn, that little demon bit me" complains Naruto before turning back to Ino and asking "Be honest with me, Ino. Is it bad?"

"Stay away from me, Naruto. I don't want to become a were-rabbit like you are gonna be now" yells Ino as she backs away.

"WHAT? A WERE-RABBIT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?" shouts back Naruto.

"Will you guys cut it out. Man, this is turning into such a drag" complains Shikamaru as he rubs his now sore ears.

"Fine, so what do we do now, smart guy?" asked Ino.

"Well, that proctor said that there were some tricks to this place. The first order of business is to determine what those are here" replied Shikamaru.

"So, what do we do first?" asked Naruto.

Shikamaru thinks about it before walking over to a tree and pulls out a kunai, then marks the base with X's all around it. "OK, let's start walking for a while and see if this tree repeats itself."

"I get it. First, let's see if there is a jutsu that sends running in circles active" said Ino.

"Exactly, once we've confirmed this one, we'll deal with other issues" said Shikamaru. With that, the three genin begin their walk as Shikamaru also tells them what else they may have to deal with.

**(Forest of Death – Entrance)**

"We are ready" said Ghost as he and the other Phantoms stepped up.

"Don't get carried away while your in there. After all, now isn't the time to be collecting them yet" reminded Konan as she went to open the gate.

"I know" said Hell.

"Have fun in there" said Konan as she turned and walked away.

"Might as well..." said Animal as the six figures entered into the forest, then split up.

"Now, I'll give them a taste of Pain" said God as he moved through the forest.

**(Forest of Death – Suna team)**

"Well Temari, can you feel anything yet?" asked Kankuro impatiently.

"You wanna do this? Reading the motions of the wind isn't exactly elementary level easy, you know. If we want to progress forward correctly, then I'll need to do this right" replied Temari before she returned to her work.

Kankuro just roles his eyes before looking at Gaara and asking "I bet she's just slacking off, right Gaara?"

Gaara just looks at him with those cold, expressionless eyes of his which makes makes Kankuro nervous. Gaara then returns to looking off into the distance, gazing at something that only he could see; or maybe it was something that wasn't even there except within Gaara's mind.

"Wait, what is that...?" says Temari suddenly before reaching back to grasp hold of her large folded fan.

"What's up? Did you sense something?"asked Kankuro as he jumps to his feet.

"Someones approaching us...fast. And from the feel of it, I think it's one of those phantom guys" says Temari as she brings her fan out and readies it for battle.

"Has twelve hours already passed by? Damn, we wasted more time than I thought" says Kankuro as he summons his Crow before him.

After a few seconds, the figure emerges from the tree line and lands a dozen yards away from them. Gaara turns his attention to the phantom hunter and his eyes seem to shift a little; seemingly indicating that he was becoming curious.

"Which one is this guy?" asked Kankuro as he glanced at Temari. "They all looked the same to me when they were introduced."

"Based on his size and the way he stands, I'd say he's the one called Animal" replied Temari.

"Correct" replied Animal before he looks at Kankuro and says "It's unwise to take your eyes off an enemy, even if it's only a glance."

"Grr, I guess running is out of the question here. We'll have to fight and disable him a bit before we can run for it" said Kankuro before sending Crow out to attack.

"A puppet master, how quaint. Summoning jutsu" said Animal as he placed both hands on the ground.

Two pillars of smoke erupt from the ground, followed by the appearance of a large lion and a muscular grizzly bear. The lion roars before charging at the puppet. Using it's giant paw, the lion slashes at Crow hard; it's body shattering from the hit.

"Your toy wasn't built well, I see" said Animal.

"You would think that, and that's what I want my enemies to think" replies Kankuro before wiggling his fingers. The various parts of crow readjust positions as they encircle the lion and unleash a barrage of needles from the holes in the joints. The lion roars in pain before collapsing to the ground and disappearing.

The grizzly bellows loudly before charging at Kankuro, who smiles as he releases Black Ant from the wrappings on his back. The grizzly tries to strike it, but Ant easily dodges it before opening up and releasing massive threads the capture the grizzly and pull it in. The sound of metal blades slicing through skin, bone, and muscle is heard, followed by the grizzly's remains being re-summoned away.

"My turn" shouts Temari before swinging her fan and unleashing a wind jutsu at Animal.

Unfazed by this, Animal simply places another hand on the ground and summons a freakish bird beast that intercepts the jutsu and dispels it. Before either Kankuro or Temari can react, the bird beast swoops in and slams both wings into them; knocking them back.

As the bird comes in for another attack, it's attempt is blocked by a wall of sand. "Gaara?" says a surprised Temari.

Gaara ignores her as he steps forward and looks at the hunter. "So, you're more skilled than you look. Perhaps you can help me to feel alive."

_'That block? That was no jutsu he just used. So, he's a Jinchurriki' _thinks Animal as he summons again.

This time, a massive rhino of behemoth size appears and charges at Gaara while the bird beast sweeps in from above and dives at him. Gaara show no concern as he makes a few slight motions with his hands, sending more sand outwards.

The ground beneath the rhino shifts into sand, causing its footing to fail on it. Then, a massive hand erupts from the sand, grabs the rhino's horn, then lifts it into the air and smashes it into the air. As Animal goes summon again, he stops as he sees sand rushing around his body.

"Is summoning all that you're capable of? If so, then you aren't a worthy foe. So just...be buried and disappear from this world" says Gaara as the sand rushes up and traps Animal within it.

"Sand Burial" says Gaara as Animal sinks into the ground.

After a few tense moments, Gaara squeezes his hand close and the sound of crushing is heard from beneath the ground.

"Gaara, what are you doing? We aren't allowed to kill anyone here" shouts Kankuro as he rushes over to his younger brother.

"Who cares" replies Gaara.

"Why you..." says Kankuro as he grips Gaara's shirt collar. Normally, he would be to scared to even think of doing this with Gaara. But right now, he was more mad than scared in thought.

"Wait a minute you two, do you guys feel that?" asked Temari.

After a second, they both noticed it as well. The ground was shaking and the shaking was increasing.

"Wait, is he still alive?" shouts Kankuro.

"He must have summoned something to save himself" replied Kankuro.

"Maybe he may be more skilled after all" says Gaara as he readies another attack.

"Forget that. We're out of her while we still can" shouts Kankuro as he grabs Gaara and makes for the tree lines with Temari right behind them.

A few moments after they had faded into the forest, the ground erupts and a giant iron shelled worm burst out. It then opens it's maw and Animal jumps out.

_'So, that's the base level of the Ichibi heir. If I had to guess, he uses a combination of wind and earth elements in battle. Wind for long range and earth for short. Most curious indeed. Now, to test the other ones' _thinks Animal before turning and heading in a direction different than the Suna nin.

**(Forest of Death – Oto team)**

"Hey Dosu, tell me again why we've just been sitting here for the last three hours?" whined out Zaku.

Dosu sighs before saying "We're waiting for the boss to come here and make the delivery. You know, the one that will help us get through the forest easily."

"Yeah, idiot. Why don't you try something new and attempt to remember this for longer than five seconds" adds Kin as she adjusted her scarf.

"What did you say, you emo bitch" shouts Zaku as he jumps to his feet and charges at Kin.

Kin sighs before launching a foot up quickly and hits Zaku in the chin; knocking him back. Kin then comes in and does a low spin, sending Zaku falling and hitting the ground hard.

"Maybe you should improve your counter skills while you at it too" she adds as she turns and walks away.

"Damn you..." growls Zaku as he gets to his feet. An idea then comes to mind, which makes him smile. "We know why Dosu wants us to wait seeing as he's a good soldier and all. But what about you, why do you feel fine with waiting here?"

"Why do you care. I happen to think following orders is the best idea...considering who we serve" says Kin as she looks back at him for a second.

"Sure it isn't for Kabuto? Maybe hoping he'll have enough time to give you a quickie before he leaves?" asked Zaku.

"Zaku, you don't want to go there" warns Dosu.

Kin, meanwhile, stops cold and looks back at Zaku with a dark look in her eyes as she ask "What did you say?"

"Oh, you know what I said. And don't pretend to be clueless about this. I've seen you and him together; seen you going to his room in the middle of the night. I've heard the noises coming from his room and seen you emerge tired and rather dirty looking. Need I say more?" asked Zaku.

Kin seethed in anger for just a second, but realized what it was he was trying to do. She then smiles and says "What me and lord Kabuto do is no business of yours. Oh, I get it. You are JELOUS of him and me, am I right? I've rejected you and chosen him instead."

"Hah, as if I'd waste time with a skank like you" said Zaku.

"I'm a skank, huh? At least Kabuto's a real man and not a limp dick pussy like you" replies Kin.

Zaku's face contorts into pure rage as he shouts "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU CHEAP FU..."

"Calm it down, you two. We have company" said Dosu as he motioned to their left.

They both look as one of the phantoms comes to land next to them.

"So, the team from Oto..." said the phantom.

"Is that one the one that Konan woman called Hell?" inquired Kin as she looked at Dosu.

"Yeah, it looks like his form" replied Dosu.

Zaku grins as he cracks his fist and says "Oh goodie, I was wanting to have a good brawl. And pounding this guy will be funner that beating you, Kin."

_'Like you ever could' _mentally replied Kin.

"I have no time to waste on you three" said Hell as he turns and begins to walk away.

"What? You don't have...hey, wait a minute" shouts Zaku, getting Hell to look back at him. "What do you mean about us being a waste of time? Are you saying we're to weak to be worth attacking?"

"Zaku, just drop it. If he doesn't want to fight, then let him go. Less for us to worry about" says Dosu.

"I say it because you have nothing among you I'm interested in. Besides, you aren't real ninja from a real village anyways" says Hell before continuing his walk.

"Bastard, don't you dare walk away from me after saying that" shouts Zaku as he charges at Hell.

"Zaku, you idiot. Don't be stupid here" shouts Kin, though Zaku ignores her.

"Sound style jutsu: Slicing Sound Spear" shouts Zaku as he brings is hands up and fires off his attack.

Hell just sighs as he swipes his hand around and easily dispels the attack with no effort. Before Zaku can make another move, Hell makes a hand sign and Zaku suddenly finds himself being lifted into the air.

"What the..." shouts Zaku as the form of a breast rising from the earth can be seen by him.

"Your life...is now mine" says Hell as the beast opens it's mouth, releasing a pink colored, slimy hand.

The hand forces its way into Zaku's mouth as he struggles to free himself. His body then jerks violently before becoming still. Hell then lets Zaku's body fall onto the ground before looking at his teammates and giving them a look that ask "What about you two?"

"Oh no, we're good" says Kin as she backs away.

Hell turns away and heads off. Once he was gone, Kin walks over and examines Zaku's body.

"How is he?" asked Dosu.

"He's dead; good riddance I say. But, what the hell did that guy do anyways?" asked Kin.

"Who knows, I couldn't see anything out of place. But, like you said, this isn't important" replies Dosu.

"Boy, aren't you two heartless. Not giving a damn about your teammate" says Kabuto as he arrives.

"Ka...Kabuto" says Kin as she looks away, slightly blushing.

"Did you see all that?" asked Dosu.

Kabuto nods, then says "I did, though I'm unsure as to what he did as well. Oh well, let's get this over with. I can't stay gone to long, or my team will come searching for me and we can't afford my true allegiances be revealed yet."

"Well, you are a spy for our lord in Kiri. So, what were you gonna give us?" asked Dosu.

"This" said Kabuto as he pulls out a compass like device. "Use this to help get through the forest and to the tower. Even though Zaku is dead, you two should still be able to advance to the finals."

"And what should we do with useless here?" asked Kin as she motion towards Zaku.

"Seeing as he's dead, I'll seal his body into a scroll for dissection later on. Maybe a look over his corpse will reveal how he died. Now, get going..." said Kabuto.

Dosu turns and head into the tree line and Kin runs up and gives Kabuto a quick peck on the lips before turning and following after her teammate.

Once they were gone, Kabuto wipes his wrist against his mouth before going to seal up Zaku's body.

**(Forest of Death – Konoha team)**

Though the going was slower than was to their liking in this forest, Naruto and the others were finally making progress at least. Thanks to Shikamaru's brain power, they had managed to figure out a rather unorthodox way of getting around the jutsu that was over the forest and they were moving deeper into the forest.

"Guys, hold up for a second" said Ino suddenly as she came to a dead stop.

"Huh, what's wrong, Ino?" asked Naruto.

"Are you sensing something?" asked Shikamaru.

"I think so, but the feeling is distorted in some way" replied Ino before closing her eyes to focus.

"What do you mean by sensing something, Shikamaru?" asked Naruto.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know, do you? Well, in addition to their mind reading and mind control jutsu, the Yaminaka clan are also adept at sensing out chakra signatures of others" explained Shikamaru.

"Wow, that's cool" said Naruto as he looked back at Ino.

"Guys, to our left" shouts Ino just as several kunai come raining down from the tree line and land just a few inches before them.

"Explosion tags" shouts Shikamaru, making all three of them jump back before the tags explode.

"OW" shouts Naruto as a shrapnel from one of the kunai cuts through his shoulder.

"Naruto, are you OK?" asked Ino as she moves to examine the injury.

"I'm cool, It's just a scratch" says Naruto as he covers the wound with his hand.

"Guys, he's here" said Shikamaru as a figure before them.

"One of those phantom guys" says Naruto.

"I think he's the one called Ghost" said Ino as the three of them take up a battle pose.

Ghost responds by pulling a kunai out and readies himself to fight as well.

"Shikamaru, Ino, I have an idea" whispers Naruto to his teammates.

"What is it?" asked Ino.

"I'll attack this guy head on to distract him, then Shikamaru can use his paralysis jutsu to freeze his movements. Then you can get into his head and learn how to get through this forest quicker. After all, I think he knows the secrets of this forest" whispers Naruto.

"Good idea, Naruto" says Shikamaru. "Do you think you can handle him though?"

"Leave it to me" said Naruto confidently.

"And that's why I worry" joked Ino, earning a glare from Naruto.

"OK, here I go" shouts Naruto before rushing at Human.

Naruto creates several Shadow Clones that swarm around Ghost and attack him from all sides. The phantom tries to strike the clones, but they manage to avoid his attacks while keeping him distracted. Seeing his chance, Shikamaru makes his needed hand signs and extends his shadow outwards till it comes into contact with Ghost shadow, causing him to freeze.

"Now, Ino" says Shikamaru.

Ino nods before making her own hand sign and says "Mind transfer jutsu."

"_Alright, I'm in" says Ino as she finds herself inside Ghost mind._

_She sees a spectral version of his brain floating in the emptiness and she reaches out to touch it. Both just as she's about to make contact, the spectral brain vanishes and the space Ino finds herself in suddenly shifts and feels colder and heavier._

"_Um...what's going on?" said a worried Ino before feeling something strong coming from behind her._

_She spins around, only to behold two giant, closed eyes. For just a second, nothing happens. And then, the closed eyes open and reveal something she had never seen before._

_The eyes were gray in color with rings growing from the pupil's like a ripple pattern._

"_What the hell?" shouts Ino as she finds these eyes looking into her very being._

"Know...PAIN"_ says a dark and ominous voice from the void._

_In that moment, Ino finds her mind being attacked by a mental energy unlike any she had ever been exposed to. The sheer force of the power burns into her; making her scream in horror and agony as her mind is sent blasting into oblivion._

Ino screams loudly, her eyes bulge open as wide as possible and tears stream down her face as well as a trickle of blood comes from her nose before her eyes roll back into her head and she collapses to the ground; her body twitching violently.

"INO? …..What?" shouts Shikamaru, then noticing that Ghost was moving even though he was still under Shikamaru's Shadow Possession jutsu.

Before Shikamaru can react, Ghost burst forward and sends a kick hitting hard into Shikamaru's ribs, cracking at least one before sending him flying back and slamming into a tree; knocking him out.

"Ino, Shikamaru? Damn, what the hell did you do to them?" shouts Naruto before charging at Human.

"I simply gave them pain" replies Ghost before he comes at Naruto.

Naruto tries to create more Shadow Clones to fight his opponent, but Ghost speed is much faster and he gets to Naruto before he can finish making the clones. Ghost then grabs Naruto's head with one hand while kicking Naruto's legs out from under him; slamming him onto his back.

"Damn you, I'm gonna...wha..." says Naruto as his vision begins to blur.

Naruto realizes that his chakra is being sucked away and he can see Ghost hand is glowing.

_'Darn it, he's...he's taking my chakra. I'm...I'm loosing...consciousness...' _thinks Naruto as he starts to fade out.

"You are now mine, my precious Jinchurriki" says Ghost as he continues to drain Naruto of power.

**Next time: The alliance of the Genin...**


	18. 28 Through the Forest Darkly 3

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.28: Through the Forest Darkly 3**

Anko entered the Hokage's room, a piece of dango still hanging from her mouth as she chewed on her favorite food. Seeing the Hokage give her a disapproving look made her grin sheepishly before sucking the rest of the dango in, chewing it up, and swallowing it.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked the Hokage.

"That's right, Anko. I have an important mission for you" said Sarutobi as he sat back in his chair.

"Does it have anything to do with this sudden relocation issue?" inquired Anko.

"Indeed. I need you to head to the Jezai region and inform Hayate about this change as well as where it is we'll be relocating to" said Sarutobi.

"Not a problem, sir. It'll give me a chance to see how those brats are doing anyways" said Anko as she grinned a little.

"Also, you need to track down Kakashi and deliver the same message to him" said Sarutobi.

"Cyclops hasn't returned from his mission yet?" asked a surprised Anko.

"He sent a report in that detailed the incident and everything. But, he also requested a leave of absence. His explanation was he was repaying an old debt that he owed. Once you've given the message to Hayate, find Kakashi and give him the message as well...and find out why he needed a leave of absence while your at it" said Sarutobi.

"Do you think it has to do with the Uchiha clan? If memory serves, the Uchiha are the only ones he owes a debt to" asked Anko.

"Hard to say, seeing as there are only two known Uchiha clan survivors left and their current location's are unknown" said Sarutobi as he scratched his beard.

"Either way, I'll get to it at once" said Anko as she turned to leave, but stopped as she reached the door. "Oh yeah, just where are we relocating to anyways?"

"Yeah, about that..." said Sarutobi as he prepared to drop a serious bomb shell on Anko's mind.

**(Jezai region – Forest of Death – Konoha team)**

Naruto's struggle to free himself was failing big time as more and more of his chakra was sucked away by Ghost. Which each moment that passed, his attempt to squirm free from his hold was lessening as he found himself getting closer to passing out from chakra exhaustion.

_'Dammit, I have to do something. Otherwise, me and my team will fail the mission. Worse yet, this guy may kill us' _thinks Naruto as he racks his brain to think of an answer.

"Give up, my precious Jinchurriki Quit fighting the ending you know is coming" said Ghost.

"How...the hell...do you know...I'm a... Jinchurriki...?" asked Naruto weakly.

"A god can always identify the beast of the land...and the demon's the hide within" replies Ghost.

"Damn...you..." said Naruto as he felt the last of his strength fading.

He cursed his fate and he hated the fact his team had been attacked because of what he was; or at least that was his assumption over this attack and not it having anything to do with the scroll. But then, an idea came to mind. Naruto closed his eyes as he mind reached inward to find that dark and hidden place.

Naruto opened his eyes and found himself standing at the edge of the dark lake in the Gothic land where the Kyubi's power was sealed away in within him. The reflection on the water drew his attention skyward.

Streams of chakra, his chakra, was moving across the sky and being sucked into a spiraling vortex centered over the lake. Naruto glared at the vortex for a moment before turning his attention to the center of the lake.

Since his last visit, four gate arches had risen from the water and were surrounding a shrine, no bigger than a bird house, that was held above the water by a pole. Determined and knowing what to do, Naruto walks under one arch and comes before the small shrine.

Naruto reached out and opened the small door on the shrine; releasing a pulse of red light out from it. He then looks back up at the vortex in the sky and growls a little before raising one hand up and aiming it right at the vortex.

"Alright, you want to suck on my chakra? Then fine, I'll give you some chakra to suck on" shouts Naruto before shoving his free hand into the shrine.

Instantly, he feels the furious power of the demon lord rush into him. He grins as he channels that power into his raised hand, then says "Here..."

Outside, Ghost suddenly feels a change in Naruto occurring. His body begins to shake as a red aura begins to wrap around Naruto's body.

_'This power? Is this...'_ thinks Ghost.

"Here..." says Naruto in a low voice, catching Ghost attention.

Naruto's eyes then shoot open, his irises having turned blood red, his pupils becoming slit like and he shouts out...

"**Suck on this!"**

Then Naruto sends the full force of the Kyubi's power blasting right into Ghost body. The unimaginable furry of the power is more than Ghost was prepared for as his whole body shakes fast and violently before being blown back at an incredible speed and with incredible force.

Ghost slams through several trees before slamming into the ground; the force of the impact creating a strong shock wave and a deep crater. The Ghost tries to move, but it collapses back onto the ground and doesn't move again.

Naruto returns to his feet, breathing heavily as he looks into the direction he sent Ghost flying towards. After several moments, Naruto decides the threat is over for the moment. But he maintains his Mazuko mode as a safety precaution while moving to go check on Ino and Shikamaru.

**(Forest of Death – Kumo team)**

"So, you sure about this...Yuna?" asked Omoi, who was getting rather annoyed at all this zigzagging and back tracking that they had been doing.

"Of course she's sure about this, Omoi. She wouldn't waste our time on anything, unlike you!" says Karui, her irritation at Omoi's lack of patience getting to her.

Yuna sighed again for what had to be the hundredth time since entering the forest. And right about now, she was wishing she had asked the Raikage to just let her create two lightning clones as an alternative to having actual teammates. She could have used her Jinchurriki power to maintain them and she would also be doing without the headache as well.

"OK, I'll explain this again so make sure you listen, Omoi" said Yuna as she looked back at him, her eyes shifting a little to show just how serious she was and just how angry she was with them as well.

"They set up the forest with small, warp areas. The warping in question alters the spacial field of everything inside the warp bubble. Unless you tread through it just right, you will remain trapped within this bubble, stuck in a permanent loop" said Yuna.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that. But I'm just wondering why we have to put up with this? Can't you just use your Jinchurriki power to dispel the bubble?" asked Omoi.

"Oh yeah, sure she can. And doing so will alert all the other Jinchurriki to her presence in the process" says Karui.

"Like any of them know were we are at present. I'd say go for it. Not like any of the others can touch us anyways" said Omoi.

As Omoi and Karui entered into a new round of arguments, Yuna chose to ignore them as a sudden feeling of demon power came upon her.

_'This power? It's one of the others...being attacked?'_ thought Yuna as she looked around to try to figure out which direction it was coming from.

The question on her mind was what could be powerful enough to force a Jinchurriki to use their power in the manner she was sensing. It couldn't have been because of the natural wide life in this forest. No, it had to be because they were being attacked. But by whom? Another team? Or maybe those Phantoms?

"Am I interrupting anything?" came a voice from above, drawing all of their attentions.

"Hey, it's one of those Phantoms" says Omoi.

"I think that's the one called God" adds Karui.

Yuna, for her part, could not take her eyes off of God. And it wasn't because of some stupid reason like him being handsome, do to his whole body being hidden, or her having some sort of attraction to him on some level. It wasn't even because of the surprise of him finding them.

No, what kept her eyes locked onto him was fear. She didn't know what was causing this feeling to rush through her, but the feeling was there. The fact he could approach them without her sensing him; being in his very presence made her feel crushed and suffocated was making her feel afraid of this person.

"Now, which one of you is the one?" asked God as he jumps from the tree branch and lands before them.

"So, he wants that scroll back" said Karui.

"To bad it's not what we're gonna be given him" adds Omoi before charging at God.

"Idiot, don't go rushing in without back up" shouts Karui before following after him.

"No, you fools. Don't go near him" shouts Yuna.

"Not the ones I want" says God as Karui and Omoi break to his sides and come at him.

God simply raises his hands up to his sides and waits for them to reach him. He then uses his power to blast them both back into the trees with enough force to crack the trees.

"What...?" shouts Yuna before she finds her body being pulled by a powerful force towards God, you makes a rod appear in his hands.

The next action was quick as Yuna finds herself being stabbed in the stomach by God's rod weapon. At that moment, she feels someone's mind come into her mind as a pair of ringed eyes open within her mind.

"What is this? You...you're chakra...mine..." says Yuna as she finds her transformation failing her.

"I see. Nibi's host; Yugito Nii. Quite clever of your Kage to send you here, looking for...the others" said God.

"How did...you..." asked Yugito as she returns to her true appearance.

"Because, I am..." says God, but then he stops as his head jerks to the side.

For just a moment, he remains quiet before Yugito hears him say "Ghost has fallen."

He then does something unexpected and swings his weapon in a wide arc, freeing Yugito from it and knocking her down onto the ground.

"What the hell are you?" she asked as she tries to call forth her power, only to find her control in shambles.

"Another time..." said God before turning away from her and jumping into the forest.

Yugito holds her breath for a few moments, wondering if this was all a trick. But when he doesn't return or another one shows up, she relaxes just a little and she sighs in relief when she sees Karui and Omoi moving. She then puts her focus on other matters, such as trying to figure out what the hell just happened here.

**(Forest of Death – Kiri team)**

Sora had been the first to return to the meeting spot. During her search, she had been able to find a viable course, but she needed to wait for her teammates to return and hear what they had to report. Besides, this moment of quiet gave her a chance to think about an issue that was on her mind.

(flashback)

"Yuna, I need you to do this for us" said the Mizukage as she looked at the young girl.

"I don't know, lady Mizukage. I...just don't have an interest in this stuff. I left the life of a ninja behind for a reason" said Yuna who was in her eighth month of retirement.

"I know and I hate myself for asking this of you. After all, you had a valid reason to quit which is why I let you. But your abilities are needed here" said Mei Terumi, the 5th Mizukage.

"Why? And what would be in it for me if I did accept?" shouts Yuna.

"We'll deal with the why in a moment. After for what I would do for you? That's an easy one to answer. If you do this for me, I will use all my power to learn where your cousin was taken" said Mei.

Yuna's eyes go wide with shock, leading her to ask "Are you serious? This isn't a joke, right?"

"I swear on my soul and my status as Mizukage. Up until now, I have been unable to get the council to spill it one what happened to her after she was made the new Jinchurriki of the Sanbi, falling the death of my predecessor; Yagura. But, you doing this will give me a reason to really put my foot down" said Mei.

Yuna thought about it for a moment, then says "If you're lying to me, you will regret it...Mizukage" in a low and dangerous tone.

Mei wasn't fool enough to think this an idle and childish threat from a child. She knew of Yuna's kekkei genkai and if she actually decided to use it, even the Mizukage herself would be in trouble.

"I swear to you, I will help you find..."

Sora is driven from her thoughts by the sound of movement from the treeline. "Kabuto? Utakata?"

What happened next occurred with such sudden speed, that Sora didn't have a chance to respond in any way. All she could do was turn her head as the phantom called Human lands right behind her and grabs her head with his hand; entering into her mind with his power.

"wha..." she says in a small voice as all her mental defenses are breached like before this man's power.

"Rokubi's heir; Utakata. And...I see. Your baby cousin; the Sanbi's heir...Moegi" said Human as he continued to scan her mind.

A tear escapes from Sora's eye as everything about Moegi, her only living relative and her very reason for living is taken from her mind by this figure.

"A blood limit too? A most curious one at that. Along side sensory abilities as well, a truly perfect shinobi you are. I think you'll make a perfect Realm for me in the future" said Human.

"What...are...you..." Sora tried to ask, but found her body becoming heavy.

"A god...and so to shall you be one as well" said Human before releasing Sora from his grasp.

This act makes a chakra version of her jump from her body and fade into the ether. Her body shudders a little before collapsing onto the ground. Human then leans down and picks up her body. Then, he sees a ravenous beast come into view, which gives him an idea.

Using some unknown power, he places the beast under his control, then places Sora back on the ground before letting the beast attack her lifeless form, send pieces and clothes and blood flying everywhere for a few moments before sending the beast away. Human then picks up her now mauled form before heading off into the forest.

By doing this, it would make her team look like she had been killed by some random beast and thus, no one would ever learn the truth about her real fate. That is, until the time of her rebirth had arrived.

**(Forest of Death – Iwa team)**

"We may have trouble up ahead of us" said Shino, bringing his team to a stop.

They quickly hid themselves within some bushes as they looked around, spying a lone figure standing in the middle of a small clearing.

"It's one of those phantom guys" said Karin as she adjusted her glasses to better see the person.

"Hmm, he seems to be observing the surrounding terrain" said Shino.

"You think he's looking for us?" asked Karin.

"Maybe? Maybe another team is also close by as well" said Shino.

Karin nodded and was about to ask what they should do, but then realized something she had overlooked up until now. Ever since Yusuke had returned from his bathroom break, he had said hardly a word to them. This was odd to her seeing how he usually acted; especially around her.

"What do you think, Yusuke?" asked Karin, surprising herself from the actual question towards him.

"I doubt he's looking for us, but rather more worthy prey" said Yusuke in a weird tone.

"Explain?" asked Shino as Karin gave him an confused look.

Rather than telling them his thoughts, Yusuke does something that even shocks Shino and makes Karin quietly yell out at him to stop. He stands up and enters into the clearing to confront the phantom.

"Are you looking for something? Possibly us?" asked Yusuke in an arrogant and cocky voice.

Demon turns his head just a little to look at Yusuke and studies him for a bit. After a few moments, Demon turns away and says "You...don't offer any interest in me...Iwa nin", then turns and begins to walk away.

"What? He's just going to leave us be?" asked an astonished Karin.

"It would seem so" agreed Shino.

Yusuke smiles, then says "It's not wise to turn your back to your enemy."

Yusuke then makes a move to attack Demon, earning a yell from Karin and she and Shino come out of hiding to stop him. "Idiot, if he's gonna let us off without a fight, then just let him" shouts Karin.

Yusuke ignores her as he goes to make a series of hand signs and is about to press his hand to the ground when Demon suddenly spins around, his right arm extended outward, and the arm splits and fires off a series of small projectiles that explode just before Yusuke.

When the smoke clears, Demon had left. Yusuke sighs, then grins anyways before turning around only to receive a hard slap from Karin.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you damn idiot" shouts Karin, her face red with anger and her glasses fogged over.

Yusuke just smiles and says "What's the big deal? He didn't want us and I proved that. That means we should have no trouble making it to the tower...at least where those phantoms are concerned."

Karin narrows her eyes at him before continuing her berating of Yusuke. Shino, meanwhile, has other thoughts on his mind as he thinks about the hand signs Yusuke was using.

_'There's no mistaking it. He was going to perform a summoning jutsu. But, since when has Yusuke been trained as a summoner? If memory serves, doesn't have the proper chakra level or control to be a summoner at this time' _thought Shino.

For Shino, this was just another bit of evidence that he now had that something had happened to Yusuke. The first being his return and the showing a completely different attitude than what was normal for him and now this. It was likely that this person wasn't Yusuke and that the real Yusuke was most likely dead now. So Shino decided to stay mum till he was sure, then he would deal with this "Yusuke".

**(Forest of Death – undisclosed location)**

The five phantoms had gathered around the fallen body of Ghost. Hell had just finished summoning forth his necromancy beast from beneath the ground and Ghost broken body had just been taken into the necro's mouth. After several moments, the necro opened it's mouth again and Ghost stepped out, completely uninjured.

"This was a good learning experience for us" said Human.

"We now have a better idea on what the Ichibi and Kyubi's heirs can do" adds Animal.

"Though we didn't get a chance to test Nibi or Rokubi as we had wanted" says Hell.

"And we now know the name and face of the Sanbi's heir" said Human.

"Though not her location" says Demon.

"It matter not. It is enough we know what to look for now with her. That just leaves locating the girl Fu of the Shichibi and the wander Han of the Gobi. For now, let's return to the tower for the final challenge that we shall give them" said God before the all took off to the tower.

**(Forest of Death – Konoha team – the final day)**

The glow of the early morning sunlight filtered through the leaves in the tree and fell onto Naruto's face, waking him from his slumber. He looked over and saw Shikamaru was still sleeping and Ino was also still out.

He couldn't help but worry though. Since their encounter with Ghost, Ino had not once woken up which had worried him and Shikamaru (once he had awoken). As far as Shikamaru went; he had suffered a bruised back and a sprained ankle, that Naruto had taken care of under Shikamaru's instruction.

Then, Naruto had fashioned a walking stick for Shikamaru to use to help him walk while Naruto had supported Ino on his back. Thanks to Shikamaru's brain power, they had managed to make their way through the forest and the tower was now in sight and they knew they would reach it today.

Assuming they didn't have anymore trouble.

Sudden movement in the forest brought Naruto to being on full alert as he grabbed a kunai and readied it for use. The sound also woke Shikamaru from his slumber as he also readied himself for battle he knew was likely to come. But that fight never did come as two figures emerge from the trees.

Coming to a stop before them was Kabuto and Utakata. "So, you managed to survive as well" said Kabuto as he looked at them.

"Most of us..." said Naruto as he glanced over at Ino.

"What happened?" asked Kabuto.

"We were attacked by one of those phantoms. Our kunoichi teammate tried to use her families mind reading jutsu on the guy, but he some how rebounded it back to her and she hasn't woken up since then" said Shikamaru.

"Mind if I take a look at her? I am a medical ninja after all" asked Kabuto.

"If you think you can help her, then sure. But, why would you help us? Our teams are from separate villages" asked Naruto.

"That is true, but I am first and foremost a medical ninja. And much like regular doctors, there's no such thing as friend or foe for a medical ninja; just those who need healing and those who don't" said Kabuto as he walked over to Ino, knelt down, and begin to examine her.

"Where's your teams kunoichi? Is she scouting ahead or something?" asked Shikamaru.

"She...didn't make it" said Utakata in a somber tone.

Both Naruto and Shikamaru understood what he meant and decided to not ask anymore.

After a few moments, Kabuto pulled away and said "She's still alive, but...it would seem her mind suffered a major shock. She's in a coma right now."

"Is there anything you can do for her?" asked Naruto.

Kabuto shook his head and said "I'm considered to be a prodigy among medical trained ninja in our village. But this is something that can't be healed through medical ninjutsu alone. I'm sorry, but unless there was a way to go into her mind and bring her consciousness back to the surface, I'm afraid she will never wake up from this."

"No..." said a distraught Naruto as he slumped down onto his knees.

"Dammit..." adds Shikamaru as he pounds his fist into the ground.

"Maybe I can help you out, at least" said Kabuto as he got up and walked over to Shikamaru.

Utakata looked at Naruto and saw the anger passing across his eyes and a flicker of red on the irises. He thought about it for a moment, then says "There may be a way."

This drew everyone's attention to him and Naruto asked "Are you serious?"

Kabuto looks at Utakata and thinks _'What are you talking about? Wait, are you gonna...?'_

Kabuto then notices his teammates eyes were totally focused on Naruto and a light bulb lit up in his head. _'I see.'_

"What do you think you can do?" asked Shikamaru.

"I have...a power that might let me create a mental link with this girl's mind and the mind of another. I can be an anchor that will help bring her mind back" said Utakata.

"I'll do what ever it takes" said Naruto as he got up.

"I'll help out too" said Shikamaru as he tried to stand as well, but Kabuto stopped him as he was still healing his injured leg.

Utakata looks at Shikamaru and says "Your offer is appreciated, but I can't use you. I can only do this with some one who is similar to me." He then looks at Naruto and says "Someone like you."

Naruto nods as he walks over, then kneels down beside Utakata and ask "What do I have to do?"

"I'll link your mind with her. Once your inside, simply find the girl's consciousness and bring it back with you. But you must be careful. If you fail, then your mind will also fall into a comatose state" said Utakata.

"No risk, no reward. Let's do this" said Naruto.

Utakata had Naruto place a hand on the side of Ino's face while Utakata places one hand on Ino's forehead and the other on Naruto's. Utakata reached inside himself and drew forth his power. As he formed the dual connection between Naruto and Ino. And it was during this moment Naruto finally realized what Utakata meant about it only being him.

_'He's...the same as me...' _thought Naruto at his realization before everything went dark and silent.

_The next thing Naruto knew, he was standing inside a flower shop, covered in many varieties of floral and fauna. He realized that this was Ino's home. Or rather, her mental representation of her home. But there was no sigh of Ino anywhere._

"_Ino?" shouts Naruto, his voice weird and distorted._

_There was no reply, which wasn't surprising. He realized that she wouldn't be here; so he turned around and opened the door into a bright light that he walked into. As he walked through the mental version of the village, Naruto noted the rather brighter than average light filling the sky._

_He wondered if she would be somewhere in this place, but he doubted it. But as he tried to think where she could possibly be, he felt the fainest chill in the air. He looked around and finally saw it. There was a point not to far away that wasn't filled with light and warmth, but a cold foreboding darkness._

"_She must be there then" said Naruto as he headed in that direction._

_Before Naruto knew it, he had entered into this place and his teeth started to chatter a little from the biting cold. As he turned at a tree, his eyes went wide with surprise and shock. Before him was his place. But, why was her mental image of his home located here? Well, there was only one way to know for sure._

_He walked forward and entered into his home and was surprised to find Ino in there, sitting with her back to him on his bed. As he drew closer, he noticed she was clinging to an old stuffed frog he used to sleep with as a small child._

_'OK, I wonder what this could mean?' thought Naruto, though now wasn't the time for those thoughts._

"_Hey Ino, are you OK?" asked Naruto._

_Ino jumped as she turned around, partly scared and partly confused._

"_Naruto? Is that...you?" asked Ino in a surprisingly timid voice._

"_Of course its me. Who else would it be?" asked Naruto._

"_I thought...it might have been those eyes. Those piercing and scary eyes" said Ino as she shuddered in fear._

_Naruto didn't know what she was talking about, but he did know he needed to get her out of here. "Ino, I didn't see any eyes out there."_

"_You didn't, are you sure?" asked Ino._

"_Yeah, I'm sure. So why are we sticking around this depressing place? Let's head back" said Naruto._

"_But, what if those eyes..." asked Ino, but Naruto stops her as he places a hand on her shoulder._

"_Wow, it's weird to see you being so meek and scared like this. Normally, you would chide me, Shikamaru, and our fellow classmates about being scaredy cats when we were younger" said Naruto._

"_I know, but..." said Ino as she looked away._

_Naruto makes her look back at him and says "Don't be afraid, Ino. I'm your friend and as long as I'm here with you, nothing will happen. And if those eyes come around, I'll simply poke them out."_

_Ino looks at Naruto for a moment, then laughs and says "You know, even when we were kids and I would usually look down on you, I always knew that you were the one person I could count on if I was ever in trouble. Thanks...Naruto."_

_Ino then gets up and to Naruto's surprise and embarrassment, Ino practically wraps herself around his right arm. She then sees his expression as she looks at him and says "Just to make sure you don't leave me behind here."_

"_Right..." said Naruto as they start to walk. "Say Ino, why were you in here? Of all the places you could choose to hide out at here in this mental version of home, why my place?"_

_Ino thinks about it as they walk into a archway of light, then says as they pass through it._

"_I just...feel safe here."_

A sudden rush finds Naruto falling back onto the ground, a headache rushing through his brain. He groans as he sits back up and Utakata says "Good work."

"Ino?" says Naruto as he looks at her as she opens her eyes and sits up.

"Yeah, I'm fine" said Ino as she looks around and sees Shikamaru breath out a sigh of relief. She then looks back at Naruto and says "Thanks, idiot boy."

"Well, at least that ended happily. Now, once I'm done healing your leg, both our teams should work together to get to the tower before time runs out" said Kabuto.

"Agreed; especially if those phantoms show up again" said Shikamaru as Naruto, Ino, and Utakata nod.

**(Forest of Death – the tower)**

The Oto, Iwa, and Kumo teams all emerge from the forest at the same time, with only a few yards separating each team. As the three teams each make their way towards the tower, movement occurs from the towers far side.

In a blur of motion, the path between the three teams and the tower is blocked off by the six phantoms.

And the final challenge of the second test had begun...

**next time: fight the phantoms...beneath the Temple of Ama...**


	19. 29 Beginning Girl

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.29: Beginning Girl**

A knock against Hayate's room door brought the Konoha nin out from his lite sleep. "Who is it?" he asked.

"You have a messenger from your village" came the voice from the other side.

After a moment, Hayate gets up and walks over to the door and swiftly exit. The person outside escorts him to the entrance of the tower where he finds Anko there waiting for him.

"Hey Hayate, how are those brats doing?" asked Anko as she waved at him.

Once they were alone, Hayate looks at her and says "Did lord Hokage send you?"

"Of course he did. He needed me to deliver an important message to you" said Anko.

"What is it?" asked Hayate as he drew in close to her.

Anko's response is to give him a rather passionate kiss that last for several moments. When the kiss ends, she winks at him and says "That one. Well, I got to be going." And with that, Anko turns and leaves.

Hayate sighs from her rather interesting way of doing things and returns to his room. Once he was inside and the door was locked, he releases the tiny vial of liquid that Anko had slipped into his mouth when she had kissed him. He then opens the vial and drinks the liquid that is inside.

Immediately, he finds himself inside his own mind and a ghostly image of the Hokage appears.

"Listen Hayate and listen well. We have learned the Orochimaru has learned of our current location and worse is he plans on attacking us within the next year. To counter this, I have decided to relocate the village to the old Senju Hidden Village. Only myself and Tsunade know of it's location at present and I will now tell you as well so you and the genin with you can come home safely" said the Hokage before revealing the location of the Hidden Village of the Senju; long since abandoned after the creation of Konoha.

**(Temple of Ama - Hinata)**

Hinata was beginning to realize that there was something off about the order of Ama. Actually, she'd been having this feeling ever since she had arrived, but hadn't given it much thought because Kurenai had said that she would be safe her and Kurenai kinda reminded Hinata of her mother in a way.

And Naruto had told her that miss Kurenai was a good, trustworthy person. So that had been enough for her.

But now, she was really wanting to get some answers to her questions. The first odd thing she had noticed came from the book that told the story of Amarillo and the founding of the order. It seemed all well in good at the first glance. But Hinata had always been very observant which had allowed her to pick up something important; the story of Ama and Amarillo was riddled with inconsistencies.

Another thing she had noticed was that despite the orders size, she rarely saw anyone walking through the halls. And on the rare occasions that she had seen a few girls walking around, they had struck her as more sneaking around; like they were hiding something. Like the whole order was hiding something from her.

After having finished reading the book, she had thought long and hard about what she had read before deciding it was time to ask a higher ranked and much longer stayed member of the order about this inconsistencies in the story. So she had left her room to go and talk with Sakuya.

Problem was, Sakuya wasn't in her room, nor was she anywhere else Hinata had looked. Stranger still was that no one else was around either. She even walked up to speak with the high mother Chiyo, but found that the elder woman was also missing from her room.

For Hinata, this was the final nail in the coffin for her on the belief that something was indeed off about the order. She could wait until later tonight and ask someone during dinner when she knew someone would be around beside her. But she didn't want to wait that long.

But the question was: just where would everybody be? As she started walking down the stairs, away from Chiyo's room, Hinata thought about where she could still look that she hadn't looked yet. It when then she remembered that little oddity from the other day.

Hinata, while walking through the temple one morning to go eat breakfast, had noticed two fellow members standing outside the door at the end of the hall Hinata had been told was just a storage closet. She had then seen them enter inside it and not come out.

Later, back in her room, she had been thinking about why they had both gone in; yet not come back out immediately. One idea had come to mind, but one that she quickly put out of her mind do to it being just perverted and making no sense, was maybe those two girls were being intimate with one another.

Well, maybe now was the time she finally found out what was inside that storage room.

It didn't take Hinata long to walk back to that hall way, coming to stand before said door. She reached out slowly and opened it up, then stepped inside. She found that this room was a wine cellar, so she entered and began to look around.

After looking around the small room, Hinata couldn't find anything odd about the room. But, just as she was about to move on and look around in other spots, her eyes caught sight of something she hadn't noticed before.

One of the walls was partly transparent to her gaze. She could still see the shelf filled with wine, but she could also see that behind that shelf was a hidden passage. As she moved forward o examine the shelf, she tried to open it, but found it stuck in place where it was.

She then began to look around very carefully seeing as there had to be a trigger, handle, or switch that could expose this hidden wall. She focused her eyes carefully and she began to see even more detail than before. And now, she was able to perceive some sort of object with wires connected to it that ran down; linking up with three wine bottles on the shelf.

She looked carefully, finally finding the three wine bottles in question. The first one she took note of said "Old No.98" on it and she reached out and turned it till she heard a clicking sound. The next one had the year "437" on it and as she turned it, she wondered if that had been a good year.

She then reached out for the final bottle, that had a faded number on it. She turned this one till she heard a click, which was immediately followed by another louder click before the shelf pushed outwards a little. She then gripped the shelf and opened it up to reveal the hidden passage beyond.

As she stepped into the unknown path, she quickly noted the walls were much different than in the rest of the temple. The temple used a combination of wood and stone as part of its base construction, but these walls were made of a material she had never seen before. Even weirder was that when she reached out and touched the wall, she found it strangely soft, yet hard. Cool, yet warm at the same time. And the odd crystals on the wall were giving off some sort of light that illuminated the passage.

She, nevertheless, continued moving forward and soon found herself walking down a long flight of stairs that was leading her deep underground. Soon, the stairs came to an end and she found a large double door before her. Though nervous, she had come this far and had decided to keep going. So, she reached out and opened the door and entered into the semi-darkened room beyond.

As Hinata walked forward, she found herself becoming nervous. There was still no sigh of anyone as she found herself approaching a metal railing, which she assumed meant she had entered a high point in this large room. Well, she assumed it was large from the impression she was getting and from what she could make out through the soft lighting.

Just as she reached the railing, something rose up from just passed it. And that was a massive, red skinned beast with multiple eyes and two twisted horns on it's large snout like nose that roared loudly. Hinata found herself stumbling back in an effort to escape, falling onto the ground as a result.

"M...Ma...Makian" she stuttered out as terror filled her very being.

For just a moment, the creatures head turned to look at her and roared again; making Hinata think she was going to be attacked. But then, two blurs shot up from just beyond the railing and these blurs then came into focus for Hinata.

It was two of the girls who Hinata had seen around the temple from time to time. But, instead of being dressed in the robes of a priestess like they normally were, they were now dressed in some sort of battle garments that wrapped around their bodies and one had a battle skirt while the other had skin tight pants on.

The two girls then produced weapons from out of nowhere, or at least from what Hinata could tell. One of the girls had a large battle ax and the other a spear; they attack the Makian, making it roar in pain as it was forced back.

Getting up onto her wobbly feet, Hinata walks again to the railing along the edge and looks into the greater portion of the large room. In addition to the giant Makian and the two girls, she could now see other Makian's of various sizes (some large, some human size) and more girls also dressed in battle garb. She could also see some sort of glowing seal on both the floor and the ceiling of the room.

"What's going on here?" Hinata asked herself as she watched everything happening before her.

"Hinata?" came the voice of Sakuya, catching her attention and making her look to her left. Sakuya came walking up from further down, her eyes showing surprise at seeing their newest recruit down here so soon. "How did you get down here?"

"I...um...well, I..." Hinata tried to say, but a sudden case of nerves had taken control of her.

Sakuya just smiles and places a hand on Hinata's shoulder as she comes to stand by her. "It's OK Hinata, I'm not angry at you or anything. I'm just surprised to see you here is all."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hinata smiles then says "I was in my room and I found myself having some question's about the history of the order, so I wanted to talk to you about it. But, I couldn't find you or anyone else. Even high mother Chiyo was gone. And then, I remembered some girls entering that store room once and never coming out."

Sakuya nods, then says "I see, but how did you find the secret door?"

"I...I could see through the wall some how. And I was able to see several lines connecting a device to some wine bottles, so I turned the bottles and opened the wall up" said Hinata before looking back over the massive room. "Just what is this place anyways? Just what is the Order of Ama, really?"

Sakuya sighed at her, then said "Let's go talk to lady Chiyo. She'll want to explain everything to you herself in detail."

Hinata nods and then begin to walk back towards the direction Sakuya had just come from. As they walked, Sakuya says "Hinata, it's not that we were trying to hide all of this from you. Its just that we normally don't reveal this side of the order to new members till after they've been with us for a month or so."

"It's OK, I had a feeling all of you have a reason for not speaking about this beforehand. But, I have to ask if miss Kurenai knows about all this?" asked Hinata.

"Well, of course she does. It was when she was with us that Kurenai came into most of her skills she now uses in her ninja life for her home" said Sakuya.

They soon arrived outside a door way and they entered into it. They then passed through a long hallway, entering a door on the furthest right from where they had entered from. Sitting behind a desk, going over some scrolls was lady Chiyo. As she looked up from her reading, her eyes twinkled and she smiled as she saw Hinata enter the room.

"Well, my oh my. How did you find your way down here, me dear? Did you decided to induct her a little early, Sakuya?" asked Chiyo .

"It wasn't me, high mother. It would seem our little Hinata here found her way down her on her own. A combination of seeing two of our girls enter into the store room and add her being able to "see" the hidden passage is what led her to us sooner" explained Sakuya.

Chiyo nods, then looks at Hinata and says "Well, I welcome you down here my dear, even if it is early than I had expected. But no matter, that just further justifies my belief about you."

"What do you mean?" asked Hinata.

"I'll get to that later, my dear. For right now, I'm betting you want to know about...all of this" said Chiyo as she spread her arms out in a sweeping motion.

Hinata nods, bringing Chiyo to start her explanation. "As you already know, the Order of Ama was founded by Amarillo and we worship her as a Goddess. And it is the duty of the order to help others and use our sacred healing arts to help people in need."

Hinata again nods, then says "Isn't that the truth? Has those healing arts I've been reading about and being expected to learn just a lie?"

"No, that part is true enough. In order to keep people thinking that we are an order of priestesses who heal those who are sick, we do learn powerful healing arts. But, we are so much more than that" said Sakuya.

"You see, Hinata. The truth of the Order of Ama is this; we are Demon Slayers" said Chiyo seriously.

"Demon Slayers? You mean you guys hunt Makian's?" asked Hinata.

"And other such beast besides. There have been times we've hunted people; usually those who have summoned Makian's for their selfish purposes or people who have been made Jinchurriki and have become as monsters" explained Sakuya.

"What about what was going on in that large room? Were those really real Makian's I saw in that room the others were fighting?" asked Hinata.

Chiyo chuckled to herself before saying "No, those are just special copies that look and feel real. In every way, they look like Makian's and can even attack like them, but they aren't real. Just illusions that can only be created within that room using the special seals located on both the floors and ceiling."

"I guess you can say it's a training ground of sorts for all of us" adds Sakuya.

"To learn how to fight Makian's" said Hinata to herself.

"That's right, my dear. There's more to say, but there is something I have to ask before I can speak of it. Do you want to join us? Truly join the order of Ama? Both as a priestess out in the open and as a Demon Slayer who operates from the shadows?" asked Chiyo.

A look of uncertainty comes over Hinata as she thinks about it. Both Sakuya and Chiyo can tell that she was really thinking about this; wondering if she had it in her to become a Slayer. Just as Sakuya was about to say something, Hinata speaks up herself.

"If I became a Slayer; undergo the training to become one, will it make me strong?"

"That depends on you, my dear. The question is do YOU want to become strong? Do you have what it takes to become strong?" asked Chiyo.

Hinata closes her eyes and thinks about this; an image of Naruto appeared in her mind. _'If I do this, maybe I can help Naruto. Maybe I'll be able to stand by his side. I can be with Naruto and help him just as he helped me.'_

"Do you want to join us?" asked Sakuya.

Hinata looks back towards her and opens her eyes. Sakuya finds herself being caught off guard at what she sees. Never before had she seen such conviction and determination within the eyes of any girl, save for that other girl who had become the orders most promising student of this generation.

Hinata then looks back at Chiyo and says "Yes, I want to join you; fully join the order. I want to become strong and help all the people that I can."

Chiyo smiles, then says "Then welcome to the Order of Amarillo, Hinata."

Chiyo then looks at Sakuya and says "Can you go and find a "Sister" for Hinata to be assigned to? After all, we might as well start training her now seeing as Hinata is all fired up and all."

Sakuya nods and says "I agree, and I know the perfect Sister for her to have too." Sakuya then turns and leaves the room, saying "I'll be right back."

Hinata watches her leave, then looks back at Chiyo and ask "Sister?"

"Seeing as we're all girls here, we are each assigned a partner/teacher when we first join. It will be the job of your Sister to oversee your training on a personal level, being trained herself in that fact. You yourself will one day have a "Sister" to train should you stay with us long enough" said Chiyo.

"Now Hinata, why don't you sit down for a bit. We have a lot to talk about while we wait for Sakuya to return. I think it's time for you to learn about the real Amarillo and the origins of our order. And, it's time you learn about yourself as well" said Chiyo.

"What do you mean by "about myself", lady Chiyo?" asked Hinata.

"You'll understand soon enough, my dear. But we should start this story at the beginning" said Chiyo.

**(The story of Amarillo – start)**

**It all began during a time in our world history known as the Dark Age. It was a time before ninja's existed and there was no protective seal that safe guarded humanity from the terror's of the Makai Realm. Truly, it was a bleak and abysmal time to be unlucky enough to be born in. Yet, it was the time she was born into.**

**From birth, it was obvious that there was something quite different about the young Amarillo. She never became sick, her body always healed much faster than any other, she had an unnatural strength about her, and her eyes had this shine that showed she had a strong connection to life itself. Amarillo was truly a one of a kind girl.**

**But what was the secret of her unusual power? Well, for the first few years of her life, no one knew. And it wasn't until fate intervened and brought Amarillo to one of the hidden sacred places that she would learn the truth about herself. One day, she and a childhood friend of her's, an outcast boy she felt a strong bond with, found themselves falling into a gate that only appeared in the waters reflection of the full moon one night and were sent into the lost land of the Silhouette.**

**It was there they met the ancient. History and our own recorded record's don't speak of this being nor give it a name, face, or even a gender; just a title. Though scared, Amarillo and her friend approached this being in the hopes that it might help them return home/ To their surprise, he said that he would...but ONLY after revealing certain things to them. For by its words, they could have only found their way to this place if they were chosen by fate to fulfill a greater destiny.**

**Amarillo learned that her mysterious powers came from nature energy. She was told that in the universe, there were to types of energy that held great sway. An inner energy, that we know as chakra today, which is born of our very life force or maybe a variation of our life force; who knows? And the other was nature energy, which is a power that is born from all life; coming together in the world around us and becoming the very essence of life itself.**

**Inner energy and nature energy are both connected, yet separate at the same time. And normally, no one couldn't have the power to connect with both seeing as nature energy was more more raw, potent, and pure when compared to inner energy. About 99.9% of those who tried to gain the gift of using nature energy would fail and their bodies would turn to stone from the imbalance created by the merging of these two forces.**

**But Amarillo was apart of that .1% that could safely use the power. Even more so, seeing as she had been born already drawing on nature energy and thus had absolute control over it even as an infant, she was indeed a powerful person. And unlike others who could learn to harness and control nature energy, she had no physical marking upon her body apart from the light in her eyes to show she had the power in a physical sense.**

**As for her friend? He also learned his own person truth. For him, he had been born with eyes unlike any other. His eyes had this grayish coloring with a ring like pattern that resembled the ripples upon the waters surface. He learned that this power was actually called the Rinnegan; the God Eye. From this ancient, Amarillo and her friend learned much about themselves and their respective powers and soon, they were returned home with new strength and a new purpose in life.**

**For many years after that day, Amarillo and her friend trained long and hard in order to master their powers. The purpose of their training was a simple one. Together, they would bring an end to this age of darkness and give all people a chance to live in peace and safety once again.**

**Through her training, Amarillo created many fighting styles and healing arts through the gift of nature energy. It was said she even shared this knowledge with several summon tribes; most notably the Toad clan from Mt. Myoboku. Her friend, who's true name has been lost to history in case you were wondering, learned to harness the full force of his eyes and gained control of the six forces that governed the elements. In time, he would become known as the Rikudou Sennin; the Sage of the Six Paths.**

**For many years afterward, these two would often work together and at times apart, depending on needs and necessities, to battle and free the land from evil and darkness. The Rikudou Senin generally worked alone or with Amarillo while Amarillo herself decided to spend some time training a group who, like them, wanted to do whatever they could to make this world a better place for the next generation.**

**Soon, the time came to bring this age of darkness to an end once and for all. Amarillo and the Sage would take on the the most powerful of all Makian's and defeat it. And this fearsome beast was the Zoa-Biju: the Jubi or ten tailed beast. While the followers of Amarillo worked together to hold back it's bestial forces, the two of them would enter into the hellish Makai Realm itself to face off with it once and for all.**

**What happened during that battle is unknown. But we do know it was a battle unlike any other. And in the end, Amarillo and the Sage returned home victorious. But it was obvious that something had changed. The Rikudou Senin locked himself away, doing some important research that would lead to the creation of the seal; or so what Amarillo told everyone. Though in truth, may believed the seal was already finished and was ready to be used and that the Sage had hidden himself away for other reasons.**

**As for lady Amarillo herself, she would spend much time with him and working on a way to modify her fighting style and healing arts so other could learn them without having to take the deadly risk that came from mastering nature energy. In time, she succeed and passed her knowledge on to her most dependable followers.**

**And there was a rumor going on as well. This rumor claimed that Amarillo and the Sage may have been lovers and possibly even married and that the Sage's two sons were birthed by Amarillo herself, though no one really knows. The only proof was that she was often seen playing with them when they were children and there was no other girl ever seen of that age seen with them other than her.**

**But, like all living beings, both Amarillo and the Sage soon grew old and they knew their time was soon going to come. To that end, the Sage chose his younger son as he successor over the elder while Amarillo finally passed on her modified abilities to those who would go on to found the Order of Ama. Amarillo also gave the first high mother certain bits of information that would be passed on from one leader to another only.**

**Before he died, the Rikudou Senin finally sealed off the Makai Realm in order to protect the world from ever having to suffer from the threat of demons again. Soon after, they both passed on, the story of their lives completed. But there would still be troubles to come after their deaths. Troubles like those men, mad with power, who would seek to destroy the seal on the Makai Realm for their own personal gain.**

**And there was the war between the two sons of the Sage. But those are stories for other times.**

**(fin...)**

"And that's it all in a nutshell" said Chiyo as she sat back in her chair and sighed, taking a drink of water to aid her aching throat. After all, it had been a long time since she had last spoken at such length.

"I...I never knew about any of that. It's...it's just so hard to take that all in" said Hinata as her mind tried to process it all.

"I know the feeling as well, my dear. But I'm afraid I'm not done yet. Now, it's time we talk about you child. Both you and your special eyes" said Chiyo.

(elsewhere)

Sakuya came to a stop before a small wooden door that led into a smaller and more private training room that was used for special purposes. She had come here because she knew the girl she was looking for would be in her, training intently like she always did. And doing it alone, which was how she liked it.

Sakuya opened the door, hearing nothing but silence at first. And then, the sound of a battle cry and metal cutting through the air itself. The sound of bodies being riddled in that metal came swiftly followed by the bodies hitting the floor; one see-able from the light of the hallway.

"You know, I'm still not sure which is odder? You fighting in utter darkness in here? Or, you creating perfect copies of yourself with this rooms seals so as to fight them. You do realize how unhealthy...and morbid that is, right?" asked Sakuya.

"That's just how a train" said the girl as she walked towards the door, her copies fading away and the weapons piercing them clattering upon the ground. "Do you need me for something, Sakuya?"

"As a matter of fact, I do" said Sakuya as she looked at the younger girl. "At one time, you were my student; my little "Sister". When you finally mastered your training and earned the master band, you asked me to NOT assign a "Sister" to you as you valued your isolation and other such things."

"Yes, I did" said the girl who didn't like where this was going.

"As I had become the second in command of the order under lady Chiyo, I agreed to this under one condition. Do you remember what that condition was?" asked Sakuya.

"That if a girl who had as much potential as I did comes here, if not more so, then I would take her on and train her myself. Are you saying such a girl has arrived?"

"Correct. Lady Chiyo is currently speaking with her on the truth of our order and she has expressed interest in becoming one of us" said Sakuya.

"Fine, I'll go and have a look at her. HOWEVER, if I fail to see the potential in her, then I won't do it."

Sakuya sighs, thinking _'Trying to get out of the deal; I'm not surprised. Well, let's see how this goes.'_

"Follow me then" said Sakuya as she turned and walked back into the hall.

"So, what's this girls name anyways?"

(with Hinata and Chiyo)

"About me?" asked Hinata.

"Indeed. I know this may sound strange to hear; but truth be told is that we have been expecting you for some time" said Chiyo.

"Expecting me? I don't understand. What do you mean by that?" asked Hinata.

"Well, hmm...how should I put this? I guess I could say that it was lady Amarillo herself who foretold of your coming" said Chiyo.

"I don't get it?" said a very confused Hinata.

Chiyo nods as she pulls a book out and opens it. "Before her death, Amarillo told the young girl who she had chosen to take her place as the leader of the order many of her secrets. One of which was that the Rikudou Senin had foreseen that a second age of darkness would one day arise within the world. And to counter this, he had set in motion a certain event to help ensure the worlds survival."

"What was that?" asked Hinata.

"Well, an heir to the sage would be born who would have the power to save the world from this second dark age. But this person wouldn't be able to do it alone. That is why the sage ensured that when the second dark age was upon us, a girl would be born who would hold a special and unique power that only she alone could possess" said Chiyo.

Hinata was beginning to get an idea about where this was going, but still needed to ask "And what was this power?"

Chiyo smiles and says "I think you already know. You have been slowly becoming aware of it now, haven't you? You can sometimes see through solid objects. The illusions and transformations that ninja can perform do not trick you. Am I right?"

"Yes, all of that is true. But, what does it all mean?" asked Hinata.

"It's very simple, Hinata. You have been blessed, or cursed depending on how you look at it, with the All Seeing Eye; otherwise known as the...Byakugan" said Chiyo.

"The Byakugan? But how can you be sure? And how did I come into this power?" asked Hinata.

"Am I sure? Yes, I have no doubt as you have been showing all the signs Amarillo told us to look for. As for the how? Even I can't be sure of anything. But if I had to guess, I'd say maybe an ancestor of yours knew both Amarillo and the sage and this ancestor was given a power that has passed down through the ages; awakening in you by chance to combat the new dark age" said Chiyo.

"But, why me? I don't know how to use it and I'm not someone who can help a hero to save the world" said Hinata.

Chiyo smiles at her and says "Don't worry about either of those. Amarillo left to us the knowledge on how to train you to use that power correctly and to its fullest. As for not being strong? Well, isn't that the reason you decided to join in the Slayer training with the other girls?"

Hinata looks into Chiyo's eyes, her determination restored as she says "Yeah."

A knock at the door brings their attention to it as it opens up. Sakuya and the girl she went to get enter into the room. As the girl takes her first look at Hinata, Hinata also looks upon her as well. The girl was dressed in a similar fashion as the others she had seen. But, this girls top had more of a Chinese style to its design and was missing the sleeves. She had brown colored eyes and hair and her hair was placed into two neat buns near the top-back of her head.

"Hinata, I would like to introduce you to our best Slayer from the current generation that you would fall into. This is Tenten" said Sakuya.

Hinata gets up from her chair and makes a polite bow while saying "It's nice to meet you, miss Tenten."

"Let's see" said Tenten as she stepped forward, bringing a finger to Hinata's chin to make eye contact between the two of them.

"Hinata, Tenten wants to see with her own eyes that you have what it takes to be a great Slayer before she'll agree to be your "Sister". Make sure she can see it written on your face" said Sakuya.

Hinata's confused expression changes as she hears that, becoming more serious in her features. Tenten observes her carefully, taking in every detail and making note of what she can see in Hinata's eyes.

"You're a pure heart-ed girl. Untainted by the harshness of the real world. I don't sense any negative bone inside your body. And your eyes make you stand out" said Tenten.

Sakuya starts to worry at hearing this while Chiyo remains impassive as she watches.

"But, I can also see resolve in your eyes as well. A desire to become strong. Is it for yourself? Or is it for the sake of another?" asked Tenten.

Hinata then does something unexpected and pushes Tenten's hand away from her chin, saying "It's enough that I have resolve to train, to become strong. Is it really necessary for me to tell you the why behind it?"

"Hinata?" says Sakuya in surprise. Chiyo smiles just a little.

"No, not really. But, I like that anger I brought out of you; the sudden fire in your eyes when you spoke. It makes me believe that you may have something inside you that wants to be released" said Tenten.

She then turns back to Sakuya and says "Oh well, I might as well train Hinata here seeing as I doubt anyone else will push her to excel like I can."

Sakuya breaths a sigh of relief and says "Thank you, Tenten."

"Yes, thank you" said Hinata gratefully.

Tenten looks back at Hinata, a dark smirk on her face as she says "Don't go thanking me yet, Hinata. I meant what I said before. I'm going to push you hard, harder than anyone else would even dare. I'll take you right to the edge, then kick you off. I'll make you strong, but you'll likely hate me when we're done."

"I'm ready to do what I have to do. And I'm not afraid of being pushed" said Hinata defiantly.

Tenten chuckles, then says "You say that now, but I can promise you that you will be afraid. Very afraid."

"Alright, enough with the scare tactics. Tenten, take Hinata and help her find a training garb. Then help her choose three weapons to train with. Once that is done, meet us in training room four so we may begin" said Chiyo.

Tenten nods as she and Hinata exit the room.

"You think she will be alright?" asked Sakuya.

"I thinks so. Though she's sure to be put to one hell of a test" said Chiyo.

"I was talking about Tenten, not Hinata" said Sakuya as she looked at Chiyo.

Chiyo looks at her as well and smiles as she says "So was I."

**next time: battle before the tower...the final round of the Shadow Test...**


	20. 30 Through the Forest Darkly 4

**AN: **Sorry about the delay in releasing this chapter, but I have been busy with personal matters over the last few weeks and haven't been able to write very much. With any luck, I'll have chapter 41 of **Rave Master Naruto **up next week; Monday if possible. Well, let's get going with NO...

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.30: Through the Forest Darkly 4 (conclusion)**

The air was quiet around the perimeter of the tower located at the center of the Forest of Death. That silence was quickly broken with the sound of feet coming into contact with the ground. Coming to a stop, the Iwa team took a moment to look around the large field the stood between them and the tower.

"It looks clear to me" said Karin as she used her sensory abilities to search for any danger.

"My kikochu aren't picking up anything either" said Shino as he held out a finger to let a small insect come to land.

"Well then, we better get to the tower before that changes then" pointed out Yusuke as he started to walk forward.

Shino and Karin nod as they follow behind him. However, they hadn't made it ten steps before a voice rose up from the forest, bringing them to a halt.

"So, we aren't the first ones to arrive here after all?" said Kin as she and Dosu emerged from forty feet to the north of them.

For a moment, the two teams looked at one another, the chances of a battle happening between them almost certain. Then, Shino simply notes "You seem to be missing someone?"

"Our teammate, Zaku, got careless when we were attacked by a Ame Phantom" explained Dosu.

"Serve's that idiot right for being stupid. I say good riddance to bad rubbish" chimes in Kin.

"I can agree with that" says Yusuke, earning a shocked looked from Karin.

"WHAT? Are you inferring to me when you say that?" she shouted at Yusuke.

Yusuke looks at her and says "Did I say your name? I don't think so, so quit jumping the gun, my dear."

"Your dear? Your dear? Just when did I become..." Karin starts to say back, but Shino stops her.

"What's this? Am I seeing some infighting here with your team?" asked Kin as she grinned.

"Just a little lovers spat" explained Shino, earning a deadly glare from Karin. Yusuke, on the other hand, just ignored him as he looked off to the side.

_'Strange though; since when did Yusuke start saying things like "my dear" when speaking to Karin? Maybe now's the right time to confront him and see if I'm right' _thought Shino as he goes to move towards Yusuke.

"Hey, Iwa team. Maybe we should continue this conversation INSIDE the tower. I'm starting to feel an ominous power in the air " said Dosu.

"Good idea" said Karin, nodding before turning towards the tower.

"I'm afraid that isn't going to be easy" said the voice of Yuna as she and her team emerged from the forest.

Both the Iwa and Oto teams turned and looked back at the Kumo team, who were already drawing their weapons out; readying themselves for battle. At first, they both believed that the Kumo were going to attack them, so they also readied themselves to counter attack.

"And what do you mean by that? Are you planning on attacking us?" asked Kin.

"What, you mean to tell us you can't sense them?" asked a surprised Omoi.

"Sense who?" asked Karin.

"Those Phantoms. They're here..." said Karui.

""Are you sure? We haven't detected them" said Dosu who had failed to feel any other presence around them besides all who were present.

Both Shino and Karin also wondered if they had somehow missed something.

"We know you're here, so stop hiding and show yourselves" shouts Yuna. Truth was, she was the one who had detected the phantoms with her enhanced Jinchurriki senses and had warned her team just before entering the clearing.

For just a moment, there was nothing but silence. But then, the motion of six blurs shot out from the far side of the tower and came to a landing between the three teams and the large double doors that signified the entrance into the tower.

"Most impressive. We believed we had hidden ourselves well enough to not be detectible until we decided to strike" said God before he turned his attention towards Yuna and adds "I guess your sensory abilities are indeed superior to that of normal humans."

Yuna scowled at him and asked "So, I'm assuming we have to defeat you six if we want to get inside the tower?"

"Defeat or simply get around us. Whichever one you feel is the more possible for you to achieve" said Animal.

"Know this. If you some how do get inside, we shall not pursue" said Ghost.

"But until then, we will come at you with the intent to kill" adds Human.

"And remember, there's only ten minutes left to you. If you can't get inside in that six hundred second time limit, you'll fail this test" says Demon.

"Both that time limit and our attacks begin...NOW" says Hell before Demon and Human charge forward, a chakra rod appearing in Human's hand while Demon extends his right hand out before his body.

Omoi and Karui both draw their swords and rush out to take on Human; sparks and metal clashing against one another as the two Kumo nin squared off with the phantom.

Demon's right arm opens up and fires small projectiles from the opening out at the two Oto nin. Dosu reveals his own right arm the the device along that arm which begins to emmit powerful sound waves. Adding Kin's own sound waves, which she fired off from her mouth, intercepted the projectiles, knocking them off course, and sending them flying into the ground with a strong explosive blast.

Animal makes several hand signs and summons forth a large horned bird that gives off a screech like roar as it shoots into the sky. Seeing this a a threat to them, Shino calls out his kikochu insects and send them after Animal, knowing that if he could defeat this foe, then the creature that had been summoned would be sent back to its own world.

However, Ghost jumps in between Animal and the kikochu and raises a barrier up that makes the insects move away quickly. This action makes Shino raise an eyebrow in surprise before pulling his kikochu back to try another tactic.

Yuna's body becomes surrounded by a bluish purple hue of azure fire as she becomes more feral and beast like in her features while looking menacingly at God. Her fingernails grow outwards a little and become claw like as she hisses like a cat that was giving a warning that she going to attack.

"So, you wish to continue our encounter from before?" asked God.

Yuna responds by getting down onto all fours, her now cat like eyes glowing brightly with fiery power as she roars like a panther.

"Very well then" said God as a chakra rod shoots out from his sleeves. "Come."

Yuna roars with a furious rage as she charges at him. But this time, she doesn't come at him head on, instead darting back and forth while advancing towards her prey. Her speed was making her appear to be a blur and even God had to admit that keeping up with her was difficult.

In the last moments, she comes at him head on and just as God brings a hand out to last her back, she jumps into the air and comes down behind him while bringing a chakra claw that was covering her hand down, aiming it at God's head.

God just barely spins around and blocks the attack with the chakra rod in time before pressing his free hand to Yuna's chest and pushes her back with his repulsion power. However, she uses the chakra claw to dig into the ground to stop her backwards motion, then rushes at him again.

"Persistent, I see" says God as he readies to attack again, but then jerks forward as he is hit from behind.

God turns his head in time to Yusuke, smiling wickedly at him, as he brings a sword that he is now holding in his hand up and readies to attack again.

"It seems you let your guard down" said Yusuke before coming in close and adds with a whisper "Old friend."

"So it is you" says God before firing off another repulsion blast that sends Yusuke back.

God then spins around and counters Yuna's newest assault then fends off both her and Yusuke with out looking back, thanks in part to the special link he had with the other Phantoms; and the fact Animal was watching them closely while Ghost defended him.

_'Oh man, everyone else is fighting here. What should I do? I know, I'll go help Shino' _thinks Karin as she goes to help her teammate deal with the Ghost guy.

But she comes to a stop when she hears a loud screech from above. Looking up, she pales when she sees the horned bird looking down at her; realizing that it was targeting her. The bird screeches again before diving down at her fast.

Karin tries to dodge and make a run for it, but she trips on a rock and falls onto the ground. She she tries to pick herself up, she twist her upper body around to see the horned bird fast approaching her. She screams as she closes her eyes, thinking that she was going to die.

"Slicing wind scythe" shouts Temari as she and her brothers emerge onto the scene.

The wind jutsu cuts into the horned bird, making it screech in pain before vanishing in a burst of smoke. Temari comes to land beside Karin and helps her up.

"Thank you. I thought I was dead there for a moment" said a grateful Karin.

"No problem; we girls have to look out for one another after all" said Temari. "Just, be more careful from now on, OK."

Karin nods as Shino jumps over to her and ask "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, thanks to these guys" replies Karin.

Shino then looks at Temari and ask "Not that I'm not grateful for what you did, but why did you save my teammate?"

"Besides my other explanation to her, I can also say that if we want to win, we'll need to work together. After all, these guys are more than any of us can handle with just our teams alone" said Temari.

She then looks at Kankuro and says "You think you can handle Ghost?"

Kankuro nods as he calls out his Crow and Black Ant puppets and says "I'll deal with him, no problem."

"OK then. Iwa's bug user, back my brother up if you will. Red, you and me will back both them and the Oto nin up" said Temari, earning an agreeing nod from Shino and Karin.

Temari didn't give Gaara any instructions because she knew doing so was useless. Besides, she would have told him to deal with Animal, which he was already planning on doing anyways.

Kankuro sends his puppets out to attack. Ghost raises another barrier to defend himself, but Karin throws smoke bombs out to hide the puppets from Ghost sight. His eyes dart around as do Animal's as they both look for an attack.

And then, the ground beneath Ghost burst opens and the two puppets reach out and grab Ghost by his feet and pulls him into the ground. As Ghost is pulled free again, Temari quickly sends off several wind jutsu out to attack him. Gaara meanwhile, walks towards Animal while sand quickly pours out from the gourd on his back.

"And so, we continue our little dance from before" says Animal before performing another summoning.

But nothing appears and at first, there is nothing. But then, the ground shakes violently before a massive insectoid beast with massive pincers along its face emerges from the ground. The long bodied, red shelled, and spike covered body gleam in the sun light as it's multiple eyes look at Gaara.

"That won't be enough to stop me" says Gaara as he sends his sand outwards to attack both the beast and Animal.

"That won't work now" said Animal.

The giant insectoid opens the four triangular muscles that act as its mouth, revealing a circular wave of teeth and then sucks in all the sound with frightening speed; taking Gaara by surprise.

"Send as much sand out as you want. It won't matter as my Antlion will simply consume it all" says Animal.

Gaara didn't let up his attack though as he continued to unleash even more sand than before. But the Antlion just continued to suck it all into it's gaping maw like a vacuum. Finally, Gaara accepted that this direct attack wasn't going to work, relenting his sand onslaught against the summoned beast.

Animal smiled as he said "Here, let me give some of that sand back to you as thanks for feeding my pet."

A large bulge grew from the Antlion's thinned section that connected its head to the larger sections of its body, becoming almost spherical in shape. Its mouth like muscle clenched inward for a second before bursting opened as it vomited up an alarming amount of sand, moving insanely fast, right towards Gaara.

The red head barely had time to raise up a sand shield to defend himself before the upchucked sand slammed into his position. Seeing this, Temari quickly fires off a wind jutsu to uncover Gaara, then rushes over to him as he rises from the sand, his eyes filled with anger and a strong desire to kill this enemy.

Karin, meanwhile, found herself standing side by side with Kankuro as they both faced down Ghost who had broken free from the hold of the two puppets and was now preparing to launch some sort of counter attack.

Omoi and Karui kept encircling Human, never staying in the same spot for less than a second. Human, for his part, was also moving and keeping his eyes on one of them while Hell watched from not to far away. However, the sudden sound of insect's buzzing caught Hell's attention, making him look to see Shino approaching him with an even larger swarm forming around both hands.

"I thought you were backing up the puppet master?" stated Hell as he took a step back.

"That was the plan, but said puppet master asked me to deal with you seeing as you looked lonely over here by yourself" replied Shino before launching the bug formation around his left arm.

Hell jumped away, two chakra rods appearing in each hand as he starts swatting them around to deal with the insects. Back with the two Kumo and their opponent, Omoi was getting tired of simply walking around in a circle and decided to finally attack. Besides, they had less than three hundred seconds left to get into the tower before the second test ended, so there was no need to play it safe here.

"Kumo secret kenjutsu style: Thunder Cloud Cutter" shouts Omoi as a surge of lightning style jutsu covers his blade, then he swings it down hard, releasing a wave of wind and lightning combo power.

Human tries to dodge clear of the attack, but Karui reads his movements and takes up her own position in the direction that he was jumping towards and says "Wind style, Blow-back Wave" as she swings her own sword and unleashes a wind jutsu.

Karui's attack hits Human, keeping him in place to be hit by a second round of the Thunder Cloud Cutter released by Omoi, the latter of which sends a massive jolt of electricity coursing through Human's body while cutting a decent gash into his chest. Human falls onto the ground, unmoving, after both attacks had run there course against him.

"Think we got him?" asked Omoi as he walks forward.

"Maybe" says Karui as she also advances till both are standing over the fallen foe.

Omoi cautiously reaches out with his blade and nudges Human's body to see if he would respond. But, nothing happens, making them both breath a sigh of relief. That was their mistake as Human suddenly comes to life, kicking Karui's feet out from under her and knocking her to the ground. He then jumps to his feet and kicks Omoi hard in the stomach and sends him flying back.

He looks at Omoi, then at Karui as she tries to stand, then grabs her head. "That was a good strategy. But you failed when you didn't finish me off in that moment. Now, you will die" said Human as he goes to expel her chakra from her body as he had done with Sora from Kiri.

But his plan doesn't happen as he suddenly feels his legs give out from under him and he collapses back onto the ground. Quickly tuning his head to the right, he sees Kabuto from Kiri standing up and helping Karui get back to her feet.

"Thanks Kiri, you saved my neck back there" said Karui as she found herself blushing before her savior.

"I'm a medical ninja, so it was an easy choice to make. Besides, we are all allied against these guys right now anyways, so no thanks are needed" replies Kabuto as he sees Omoi swaggering towards them.

_'Wow, both smart, skilled, and cool. This guy is a real man' _thinks Karui with hearts in her eyes.

"I...I can't stand. What did you do to me?" asked Human.

"I simply attacked the muscles in your legs using my own special style of medical ninjutsu. I did enough damage to them to cause them to burst under your own body weight. You won't be standing again anytime soon, phantom" replied Kabuto.

_'Damn, this guy is scary. I better stay clear of him' _thinks Omoi.

As Gaara and Temari prepare to launch a new attack against the Antlion, both they and Animal take on a confused and surprised look as bubbles begin to swirl around the beast till enough had gathered to merge together into one giant bubble that the beast was trapped within.

"Are you getting in my way?" asked Gaara as he looks to see Utakata walking towards them.

"Not at all, but we don't have any time left to play with these guys. We barely have two minutes left to get inside the tower...unless you don't care about passing this test" replied Utakata.

Temari stops Gaara from responding, then nods at their aid to continue. Utakata then looks at the trapped Antlion and activates his jutsu, causing the giant bubble to turn black in color before exploding. The Antlion collapses to the ground unmoving.

Ghost finds his body suddenly becoming frozen as Shikamaru uses his Shadow Possession jutsu to hinder its movement, then Kankuro fires off several poisoned darts at Ghost to further weaken it to make escape easier.

As Yuna and Yusuke keep God busy, Ino comes running in and throws several powerful smoke bombs down to cover them, before making her way over to Yuna and says "OK, we need to get to the tower now."

"**This battle isn't over yet" **replied Yuna in her Jinchurriki voice.

Ino backs away nervously from hearing that weird growling speech, then says "I...I know that, but we're out of time here. Besides, my teammate has a plan to help us all out and we need to clear the way for him."

Realizing she is right, Yuna nods and follows after Ino. God uses his repulsion power to blast away the smoke and is about to follow, but Yusuke drops some explosives before God's path and says "Maybe next time, huh?" before following after the two girls.

God and the other still mobile phantoms see the other genin running towards the tower and are about to pursue, but stop as they hear a deafening roar come from the forest, followed by the feeling of the ground shaking.

And then, a large Makian emerged from the forest onto the open field, roared again, then broke into a charge at the nearest phantom. Naruto stumbled out from the forest a few yards away, exhausted from creating a smaller, but similar beast to the one he had used to save Hinata before when Kumo had taken her. Ino saw his difficulty in moving and was about to go help him, but stopped as she saw Yuna and Utakata already getting to him and helping him.

As the beast bore down on the phantoms, the five who had managed to gather together prepared to fight it. But then, the beast stopped and grinned at them. At that moment, the five phantoms saw what Human was seeing; who was the only one not gathered with the others due to his legs being injured.

And what they was was the six teams making a quick beeline towards the tower. And then, God saw it in the eyes of the beast. An image of an explosive tag reflecting in its eyes. At that moment, all the phantoms realized what had been done and what was going to happen.

And then, the false Makian exploded.

The force of the blast sent the six teams flying through the air; crashing them through the large double doors into the tower. The radius of the blast easily covered the spot the five had been standing. And just as quickly as it had begun, it ended.

As the smoke cleared, the five phantoms had survived thanks in part to Ghost having raised a barrier to negate the blast and save them. But Human hadn't been so lucky and was now lying in several burnt pieces.

"It would seem they have one" noted Demon.

"For now" adds Ghost as Animal and Demon help him to stand.

"No matter. This was just a test to see what they could do, nothing more" says Animal.

"But we'll need a replacement for Human" adds Hell, seeing that repairing him would be impossible.

"That will be easily done. Let's return to Ame and leave the rest to Konan" said God before the five surviving phantoms turn away from the tower and head back into the forest.

Inside, Konan walks forward and can't help repress a small smile at seeing the sight before her. For before her was all the surviving genin, piled atop each other in a neat little pile and each was groaning a little from both pain and discomfort being caused by their current position.

"Congratulations, you have passed the second trial of these test...with seventeen seconds left on the clock" said Konan before pointing to her left. "Head through that door there to enter a small hallway and enter the rooms that have your villages symbol on it to find your Jonin rep waiting on you. A medic will be along shortly to examine you for injuries."

"We will begin the third and final test in two days, so make sure you get plenty of rest to be ready for it" said Konan before she turned and walked away. But, she then stops and looks back at them with a grin on her face.

"I'll leave you to your little orgy pile now. Have fun."

The genin just groan at Konan giggles from her joke as she returns to her walk.

**(Temple of Ama – underground training room)**

"So Hinata, does it fit alright?" asked Tenten as she glanced over to the changing room.

"It's the right size, but...these garments are a little tight though. Especially around my chest" said Hinata as she emerged from the changing room.

Hinata was now wearing a dark purple wrap around top with a little light purple edges. There were no sleeves on her top, but she did have a skin tight black undershirt that had long sleeves. She had black skin tight pants on and a short purple colored skirt over it. And she had light purple colored gloves and sandals on as well.

"Yeah, I can agree with you. Having a tight fitting top can be annoying for girls like us with above average chest size at our current age, but we need our garments to be tight fitting on us in order to maximize body movement when in battle" explained Tenten.

"I figured that. I'll get use to this. But, won't having such tight fitting clothes lead to us being leered at by guys who see us when we're on missions?" asked Hinata.

Tenten nods and says "That has happened before seeing as we usually encounter people when we're out there. Hell, there was this one time I saved this one guy from a Makian. His way of thanking me was to hit on me, leer at my chest and he even pinched me on my butt."

"How did you respond to that?" asked Hinata, who was a little worried about dealing with perverts.

Tenten grins and says "I broke his nose and the arm the offending hand was attached to. Don't worry though. When we go out on Slayer missions, we usually wear mask to hide our faces as a just in case. After all, we don't want people linking our Slayer lives with our priestess lives here at the temple."

"Well, what now?" asked Hinata.

"Well, we'll be doing some hand to hand sparring at first to get you started. But before we do that, let's go ahead and get you three weapons to train with" said Tenten as she began to walk towards a side door.

"Will I be training with them today?" asked Hinata.

"No, I want you to get good at the basics first. But still, knowing what your weapons are gonna be will help me decided on how to best handle your hand to hand training" explained Tenten.

They entered into a large room that was filled with more types of weapons than Hinata had ever seen in her life. As Tenten looked around, she said "We should get you one close range, one medium range, and one long range weapon. That way, you will be able to adjust easily based on the needs of the battle."

"What about this?" asked Hinata as she walked over and pulled out two small claw weapons.

"Well, that would count as close range. Try them on" said Tenten.

Hinata nods, then slides both on and holds them up to better see them. Each had three blades that were smooth and formed into a slight angle and they shined in a blue/silver metallic sheen.

Tenten touches the weapons and says "Not bad. You'll be able to channel chakra into them to not only strengthen them, but even make them longer too. Now, for the other two."

After a few minutes of looking around, Tenten spies an object and pulls it out. "Aw, this will make a perfect medium range weapon for you."

"But, isn't that to small to be a medium range weapon? Its length is no greater than my claw weapons?" asked a confused Hinata.

Tenten smiles as she holds the small metal bar out before herself and says "At first glance, but watch this." She then channels chakra into the rod and immediately, it extends outwards in both directions up to a length of five feet.

"I see now, it's normally compact to make it easier to carry, but can be made bigger for battles" said Hinata, understanding why Tenten chose it.

"That's not all" said Tenten as she sent a little more chakra into the staff, causing two arrow shaped blades to pop out from both ends. She then spins it around a little before returning it to it's compact form and giving it to Hinata.

"It's always good to have a surprise in store. Now, for a long range weapon..." said Tenten as she looked around.

"What do you say we try this one for now" said Tenten as she reached out and pulled a jagged edged chakram off from a shelf by gripping it the handle in the center.

"That does look dangerous. But will it return to me once thrown or will I have to make a grab for it?" asked Hinata.

"That's an easy question to answer. With a weapon like this, we use our chakra to make a string of chakra and attach it to the handle. That way, when we throw it, we can not only recall it quickly, but we can control its movement while in the air" explained Tenten.

Hinata nods, then ask "Do you think I'll be any good with these weapons?"

"We'll find out eventually. For now though, lets head over to my favorite training room. It's time to see if you can take a hit" said Tenten as she smiled evilly.

Hinata gulps nervously as she follows after her "Sister".

**(FoD Tower interior, training room)**

The six teams stood side by side on the ground as they looked up at Konan and their Jonin counterparts who were watching them from the upper levels.

"Alright, we shall now begin the final trial of these Shadow Test. After much thought on it, I've decided to make this a free for all battle between you all. How long can any of you stay conscious in this battle? How will you fare? Remember, everyone is your enemy here; even your own teammates. The time limit will be sixty minutes. Those who are still standing at the end will this test. Keep in mind that this is just a test of your own personal abilities, so don't let loyalty to your fellow genin from the same village stop you from showing your skills. You may all begin...NOW."

With that, each team breaks away from each other. Not surprisingly, the teams were staying with together as they didn't have a need to stab each other in the backs until after the other teams were down and out.

Shino made a slight glance at Yusuke and remembered what he and Roushi had talked about in secret. There was no question that this person wasn't Yusuke and once this exam was over, they would deal with him in private. Until then, he just needed to be watched.

"Hey, has anyone noticed Salizar isn't here" asked Chojuro.

"I have and that worries me" said Baki.

Hayate was about to say something, but notices Roushi's face was strained. "Is something wrong?"

"I sense something in the air; something vile and wrong" replied Roushi.

"Bad vibes bring chills, making me feel ill" says Killer Bee.

Hearing this, Konan looks at them and ask "Do you know what it is?"

Before an answer can be given, the whole arena suddenly shakes violently as the air becomes heavy and saturated with dark energy.

"Wha...what's going on here?" shouts Karin.

"This power...its strong" says Utakata.

And then it happens, a hole like a red glowing eye burst open before them, creating a powerful suction from it's center.

"It's a gate to Makai" shouts Yuna as the genin find themselves being drawn in.

Konan and the Jonin try to jump down to save the kids, but the force that was sucking the genin in was also repulsing them at the same time. Though the genin try their best to move away, it's all for not as they all get sucked into the gate, which immediately closes up afterwords.

The adults jump onto the ground once the pressure had faded, but they knew it was to late.

The genin of the six villages were now prisoners of the Makai Realm.

**Next time: Where the demons reign...**

**N.O Info special report:**

Before I close out this chapter, I want to reveal several special projects I am currently brain storming; about two NO related ideas in my head. The first is a Naruto Overdrive movie fic. The other is a what if scenario fic.

The movie fic will involve Naruto and the others being sent to an oceanic kingdom to deal with a cult that plans on summoning a deadly Makian sea monster into the world. Meanwhile, Hinata and Tenten are also sent to deal with this situation. Will they succeed and will Naruto learn about the Slayers?

And the what if scenario ask a question: what if Naruto is chosen to be Ino's partner in her special kunoichi training. Naturally, this would be a Naruto/Ino pairing fic that would be 5 chapters long. Also, it would NOT be part of the main NO storyline; just a what if scenario I can do for the fun of it.

Tell me what you all think about both and if you have any wish list on any additional content you would like to see in either, should either ever become reality. If they do happen, then I'll talk about them more in a future chapter on Naruto Overdrive.

Till next time, peace out...


	21. 31 Escape from Your Hell 1

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.31: Escape from Your Hell 1**

For a few tense moments, the air was thick with negative energy; crackling like crimson lightning in the spot the portal had just opened and closed at. It was still hard to believe, but there was no denying the truth. Somehow, the Makai Realm had opened up and had swallowed the Genin up into it's hell.

Konan and the other Jonin, finally able to move again, quickly jumped down onto the main stage; looking for any sign that could explain what had just happened. However, looking around couldn't reveal anything odd or out of place here.

"Miss Konan, what the hell just happened here?" asked Baki as he walked up to the Ame rep.

"I...I don't know. This has never happened in the history of the Shadow Test before" replied Konan as she looked around.

"Regardless of that, the fact remains that it did happen. And right now, our kids are are at the mercy of the Makai Realm. We have to find a way to get them back or at least go and help them" said Hayate.

"Agreed" said Konan as she turns to head towards the main door.

"Where are you going?" asked Roushi as he watched her.

"I'm going to contact the Grand Daimyo and request that Ame's seal masters are sent here at once. With any luck, they'll be able to open a new portal and either bring the genin back or at least allow you all to go in to protect them. I'll also request for some of our defenders come as well should we have to go with the latter option" said Konan before exiting the room.

"But that could take to long" said Choujuro as he looked back at the others.

"Do you think that Salizar was behind this?" asked Baki.

"I wonder...?" said Hayate to himself as he continued to look at the door Konan had exited from.

"I'm afraid that there won't be enough time for that" said Roushi as he examined the portal spot.

"What do you mean?" asked Baki.

"It will take to long for any team to get here from Ame to help open a portal. In a place like the Makai Realm, even a skilled Jonin would have trouble surviving for long. For the genin to last long enough for the Ame seal masters to get is here will be impossible" replied Roushi.

"Then what can we do then?" asked Choujuro.

Roushi looks over at Killer Bee and says "It has to be me and you. Because of what we are; because we're Jinchurriki, we should be able to use our powers to open a gate ourselves. Maybe we can even bring them back as well."

Killer Bee nods, then says "Open the portal, much power we need to expend. Great danger to all, can ya comprehend?"

"Like we have a choice here, right?" asked Roushi.

Killer Bee nods as they both take go to stand at opposite ends from where the portal had opened. The other Jonin stood back as Roushi and Killer Bee entered into their Mazuko Modes, then extended their hands outwards. A stream of demonic chakra rushes out and begins to gather at the center.

For a moment, nothing happens. Then, the connecting point of chakra begins to shift and forms into a small hole. As they feed more chakra into it, the growth of the hole begins to occur, albeit slowly.

_'This is gonna take some time though. And even after that, finding them and bringing them back is gonna be even harder' _thought Roushi as he and Bee continued to form the portal.

**(Elsewhere)**

Konan walked through the hall of the tower, coming to a stop before the hall turned into a side junction. Konan stopped and rested her back against the wall, then looked up at the ceiling. A slight rustling sound in the hall was heard before a figure appeared leaning against the wall along the junction path.

"Was that really necessary? Sending those kids into the Makai Realm is a little risky, don't you think?" asked Konan.

"One needs risk in order to obtain greater rewards" replied the figure.

"All right, I'm just going to ask straight out. Why did you send them there? What happens to the other Genin is of no consequence. But what about our Jinchurriki? Isn't this little stunt risky for us and the plan?" asked Konan.

The figure chuckles before saying "Did you forget, Konan? Those Jinchurriki have the powers of the Biju lords within them. Like all Makian's, they will be even stronger in the Makai Realm than they are here. And because of this, there's is no danger of them dying before the hour is up and they are returned."

"I see; it's just for an hour then they'll be returned here" said Konan.

"Correct" said the figure.

"But why did you do this?" asked Konan.

The figure smiles, then says "Simple. Our Jinchurriki have lived like humans for far to long. I felt it was time to remind them of the truth. They aren't humans, but monsters; weapons. By sending them to the Makai Realm, I'll be driving home that fact within their minds when the Makai Realm brings their true natures out into the open."

With that, the figure turns and heads back down the hall, the sight of an orange mask just barely being seen by Konan before she returned to her own walking, she thinks to herself...

_'You truly are a scary person, lord Madara.'_

**(The Makai Realm)**

"Hey, Konoha, wake up" came a voice followed by a hard slap against his face.

Shikamaru groans as he fully regains consciousness and he opens his eyes a little, seeing Kankuro standing over him.

"So, you finally decided to rejoin us in the waking world, huh?" asked Kankuro as he held a hand out.

"So it would seem" replied Shikamaru as Kankuro helped him up.

Once he was sitting up right again, Shikamaru realized that they were in a cave with a deep reddish light coming in from outside the cave entrance. Looking around, Shikamaru could also see Dosu sitting a little ways off from him and Kankuro; examining his sound weapon for any damage.

"So, where are we?" asked Shikamaru as he looked back to Kankuro.

"Hmm, not really sure yet. That Kumo girl, Yuna, was here when I woke up. She went out to get a look around. That was about twenty minutes ago. Mister Oto nin over there woke up five minutes ago, not that he's been very talkative beyond asking the same question you just asked" said Kankuro.

"What about the others? Are they here too?" asked Shikamaru.

"No, just the four of us. But there's no doubt they're here. I can remember seeing them as we were falling through that hole. But, we must have been separated somewhere along the way" said Kankuro.

Nodding, Shikamaru walks over a few steps to be closer to the entrance, till his extended right hand becomes bathed in the red light, and says "Why I'm a getting a bad feeling about all of this?"

"Because your senses are really smart" said Yuna as she appeared from the outside and rejoined the others.

"So, what did...you...find?" asked Dosu as he and the others gaze fell onto Yuna and stayed locked on her.

Not paying any attention to the break in Dosu's question or the stares she was getting, Yuna says "Well, we're way up high for one thing; on a mountain I think. Also, there is a lot of red everywhere. And then there are so weird looking plants. If I had to guess, I'd say...hey, what's wrong with you guys? Why are you three looking at me like that?"

"Just...who are you?" asked Kankuro.

"What do you mean "who am I?" It's me, Yuna of Kumo" said Yuna.

Moving quickly, Shikamaru activates his Shadow Possession jutsu and freezes up Yuna's movements, then says "No your not. You are wearing the symbol of Kumo, but you're older and taller than Yuna."

"Not to mention your face is different too" adds Dosu.

"Damn, I thought something felt weird when I went outside. I guess my transformation came undone" sighed Yuna.

"So, you gonna tell us who you are and what's going on here?" asked Kankuro.

"Or do I have to put the squeeze on you?" adds Shikamaru as shadow hands rise and wrap around Yuna's body.

"Oh well, I guess there's no point keeping this secret any longer" said Yuna. "OK, I tell you the truth. My real name is Yugito Nii; Chunin of Kumo."

"You're a chunin? Then why are you here at the Shadow Test? Has Kumo been cheating all this time?" asked Kankuro.

"Of course not; this was just a one time thing lord Raikage decided to do" replied Yugito.

"If what you're saying is true, then what's the deal? Why are you here?" asked Shikamaru.

"Fine, I'll tell you; seeing as knowing won't do you any good anyways. Lord Raikage wanted me to use a special power I have to identify Jinchurriki from the other Hidden Villages with the plan to eventually recruit them or kill them" replied Yugito nonchalantly.

Both Shikamaru and Kankuro were shocked by hearing this; partly from the very idea of it, partly because she was likely being honest with them, which was unexpected. Dosu, however, didn't seem that interested...or so it seemed.

"Are you one as well?" asked Dosu.

"Well, of course I am. I'm the container of Nibi, the two tailed demon cat's, power after all. So sensing my own kind is easy. Just like this is easy" said Yugito before taking a step forward and revealing that Shikamaru's jutsu wasn't really affecting here.

_'Does this mean she knows about Gaara?' _thought Kankuro with worry.

"Then tell me, who else is Jinchurriki, if you don't mind me asking?" inquired Dosu.

"I don't mind you asking if you don't mind me not telling. The identities of my brothers and sisters in the Jinchurriki line is of no importance to anyone but me and them" said Yugito.

"That's fine. Besides, we have other things to be thinking about; like where we are and where the others are" said Kankuro, earning a nod from Shikamaru.

_'So, are you one of them? Or maybe one of your teammates?'_ wondered Dosu as he looked at Kankuro.

"Alright. As far as our teammates go, I can't be sure. I didn't see any sign of them from where I was looking from; even with my Jinchurriki enhanced eye sight. But they shouldn't be to far away from where we landed. We just need to look. As for where we all are, come outside and see for yourselves" said Yugito before turning around and walking outside.

Kankuro, Dosu, and Shikamaru follow her outside, then stop dead in their tracks as the larger, outside world is revealed to them. As Yugito had said, they were atop a mountain. But this mountain was as twisted like a thorn hedge. Both the ground and the sky was blood red in color, the black clouds rumbled with thunder and purple colored lightning. And the plants were unlike any they had ever seen.

And then, a break in the clouds over head showed them something they hadn't expected. A long, slithering and scaly body moving slowly across the sky. A body that seemed to have no end to it. A sudden roar drew their attentions to the side as they saw a winged Makian fly by overhead.

"Is this...?" asked Kankuro in a stunned voice.

"It is, we're in the Makai Realm. All of us" said Yugito.

"But how did we get here?" asked Shikamaru.

"Beats me, but there is one thing I do know. This was not accident; someone arranged for us to be here" said Yugito as she looked at Dosu.

Of course, she knew Dosu hadn't done this. But Bee had told her about what he and the other Jonin had talked about and she was well aware of the Oto Jonin, Salizar, having disappeared. But even that thought didn't sit right with her. Could that girl from Ame have had something to do with this?

"Well, miss Nibi, what do we do now?" asked Dosu in a rather rude voice.

"Well, I would think finding the others would be a good plan. Then finding a way to escape from this hell after that. After all, the Makai Realm is no place for anyone to stay trapped in for any amount of time" said Yugito.

Earning a nod from her companions, Yugito begins to lead them down off the mountain on their new mission to find the others. But they all knew the danger they were heading into. After all, no one entered hell and could possibly expect to get out unharmed.

**(elsewhere)**

"Eww, just what the heck is this stuff?" cries Ino as she finds herself stuck to a rather weird looking flower that was covered in a sticky coating that was keeping her pinned down.

"Well, judging from what I can tell and what little I know about the flora and fauna on the Makai Realm, it appears to be a Noquos Emmu Solita; also known as Fracture Bloom" said Kabuto as he leaned in close from the opposite side.

"And what does that mean?" shouts Ino.

"Well, I don't know all the detail's. But I think that sticky stuff means one of two things" said Kabuto.

"And those would be?" asked Ino, a little nervous.

"Well, it's either meant to trap prey to be eaten eventually or that sap is basically the plants love gravy and you may soon be a mommy" said Kabuto, who grinned just a little as he said the last part.

Ino's scream echoes through the canyon as her attempt to escape increases ten fold, yelling "This stuff may be THAT? Then quit just standing around and looking at this thing and get me off of it."

Utakata walks over and helps Ino free herself. The young kunoichi quickly starts checking herself over, especially in certain areas, for any remaining traces of the sticky stuff from the plant.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you. Kabuto was just playing with your head back there" said Utakata.

"Are you sure?" asked Ino in a worried tone.

"I'm sure. That stick stuff is simply a defense to keep the creatures that would normally eat this type of plant away" said Utakata.

"What? So there are some Makian's that are herbivores?" asked Ino.

"Some, but they are only a very small fraction of the overall race" said Kabuto.

"Quiet, you guys. We may have company" says Temari as she comes dropping down from above, then plants herself against the wall.

Ino, Kabuto, and Utakata follow suit as the earth begins to shake. Looking up, the manage to see the shell of a massive beast come into view. A few moments later, a tail riddled in spikes passes over them too, followed by more of the same beast.

"There's a least twenty of those things passing by" says Temari in a loud whisper.

"What are they?" asked Ino.

"I think those are Geltorro. Very large Makian's, though of no real threat unless you attack them or have the bad luck to be in their way when they walk. When angered, they can be surprisingly fast and deadly to deal with" said Utakata.

Once the beast had passed, the four of them pull away from the wall and follow Temari as she climbs up the rock wall. Once they were at the top, they look around at the expanse of barren land around them.

"So, was that all you saw when scouting around up here?" asked Kabuto.

"For the moment, yeah. But seeing as this IS the Makai Realm, we have to assume that there are plenty more waiting to be found. Assuming they don't find us first" replied Temari.

"So basically, stay on guard and prepare for an attack to happen at any time, correct?" asked Kabuto.

"Correct" replied Temari.

"Where do you think the others are?" asked Ino, though she was mainly thinking of just Naruto and Shikamaru

"I think we should head in that direction" notes Utakata as he points towards a mountain in the distance.

"Why there?" asked Ino.

"Just a hunch" replies Utakata before walking towards the mountain.

"I've learned to trust his hunches for as long as I know him. Lets get going" said Kabuto.

"If you say so. It's not like staying here will do us any good" said Temari before following suit.

"Hey, wait for me" shouts Ino as she runs to catch up to them.

As the four begin their walk, they fail to notice that they were being watched by something from the shadows.

**(again, elsewhere)**

Shino, Karui, Gaara, and Yusuke made their way through a dense sea of dead tree branches as they crossed through a murky bog of waist deep water. Or was it blood? They weren't really sure beyond the fact that it was a little more thick than regular water as well as slimy.

"Well, this sure is a fine mess we've seen to have gotten ourselves into" said Karui as she shivered from the cold goop that acted as water.

When neither of her male companions responded, a vein popped out from her head and she yells out "Damn it, don't ignore someone when they're speaking. That's considered very rude in my homeland."

"We're not ignoring you, just staying quiet because there's nothing really worth saying" said Shino.

"Oh great, why did I luck out and get stuck with you silent types" grumbles Karui as she crosses her hands over her chest.

"Shut up or I'll kill you" said Gaara in a low threatening voice.

"What was that, red head?" shouts back Karui.

"You're giving me a headache" said Gaara as sand rises from the gourd and begins to move at Karui.

"Now now, there's no need for such theatrics here, is there? Besides, now isn't really the time for any combativeness between us, right?" asked Yusuke, earning a look from Shino.

"Yeah yeah, you're right. But at least try to me more verbal here, you guys. I hate feeling like I'm speaking only to myself when I speak" said Karui.

"Whatever" replied Gaara as his sand returned into the gourd.

After a few minutes, they found a path that finally got them out of the waters and back onto dry land, though the land was even less inviting than the water; what with it's cracked surface and odd shaped holes. The four of them decide to sit down to let the goop dry off and to plan out for what to do next.

"Well, what's the plan?" asked Karui.

Shino raises both hands up and releases a large swarm of his kikaichu into the air, who then quickly scatter around to get a better lay on the land. "Once we have done some scouting, we'll start looking around for the others while trying to find a way out of here."

"Why bother wasting our time looking for those fools? Wouldn't our time be better spent exploring this fascinating land?" asked Yusuke.

"You can't be serious. You actually want to site-see around here over even getting back home?" asked a stunned Karui.

"But of course, after all. It is incredibly rare for one to come to the Makai Realm. Imagine what we could learn from this place" replied Yusuke as he started to get up.

"Are you not even worried about Karin?" asked Shino while a new set of his mini-minions came crawling out of his coat and out of view of everyone.

"And why should I be worried about that pathetic girl. She's to weak to be of any real interest to anyone" replied Yusuke as he goes to walk off.

"I see, then I guess we can end this game then" said Shino before Yusuke finds himself surrounded in a wall of insects.

"Hey, what the heck is going on here?" shouts Karui as she jumps to her feet and grips onto her sword.

"Tell me why you're attacking me, partner?" asked Yusuke as he turned to look at Shino and not looking very concerned.

"First tell me this. Who are you and where's the real Yusuke?" asked Shino.

"So, you figured it out. I guess I should have kept playing the fool for a little while longer" replied the fake Yusuke.

"That wouldn't have mattered seeing as I have been on to you for a while now" replied Shino.

"Oh, and just how long has that been?" asked Yusuke.

"Every since Yusuke, or should I say, you, got back from using the bathroom" said Shino.

"OK just what the hell is going on here?" shouts Karui in a demanding voice while Gaara just looks at them, then returns to looking at the scenery as it was more interesting to him than this.

Shino looks at her, then says "When my team was in the forest test, our teammate needed to use the bathroom. But he never came back. Instead, this one came back looking like him. I decided to stay quiet as it was likely Yusuke was already dead and I wanted to ascertain what this fake may have been wanting. Now tell me, who are you and where is the real Yusuke?"

The fake chuckles and says "Is knowing who I am really important? But as for your friend; well, he is here with us. Or rather, I should say his skin. After I killed him, I ripped the flesh from his bones and have been wearing it ever since. Although, he may have still been alive when I was cutting him free of it. I never really bother to check before I work."

"I see, then I have one last question for you. Are you responsible for us being here?" asked Shino in a cold tone.

"No, I'm afraid not. To be honest, I wish I had access to the ability to open a portal here. But there have only been two people known to have the power to create one on their own; the Rikudo Senin and Madara Uchiha" said the fake.

"Well, if you didn't do it, then who did and why?" shouts Karui.

"Who can say to either, but maybe it was him who did it. After all, he has both the power and the motivation to do this" said the fake.

"And who is this "him" that you speak of?" asked Shino.

The fake just gives them a snaky and evil grin before saying "Sorry, but it wouldn't be any fun to spoil everything for you before the time is right. Besides, I have some important research to attend to now that I have been given such a wondrous opportunity like this."

Shino commands his kikaichu to fly in as Karui draws her sword and moves forward. "But here, you can have this sticking bag of flesh back. I don't need it any more" adds the fake before Yusuke's body goes limp and collapses onto the ground.

Shino recalls his insects, then walks over and places a hand on Yusuke's crumbled corpse. He then pulls out a scroll and seals it within before standing again and looks at the scroll, saying "I'll make sure you are given a proper burial, my friend" then places the scroll inside his coat.

"Look, that snake made a hole in the ground. Damn monster got away" growls Karui before looking at Shino and adds "So, what do you want to do now? Go and find that bastard?"

"No, we'd just be wasting time with that now. Let's just focus on finding our teammates and the others, then finding a way out of here. We'll deal with that guy if we see him again" said Shino before turning and sitting down to await the return of his scouts.

As Karui sits down as well, she looks over at Gaara and ask "You've been rather quiet during that little exchange. What are you thinking about?"

"This land...I feel at home here. And strangely at peace too" replies Gaara.

_'OK, if you say so, weirdo' _thinks Karui as she goes back to looking at the sky.

"Karin, I hope you're doing better than we are" said Shino quietly to himself.

**(Elsewhere...again)**

"EEEEKKKKK" screams Karin as the massive triceratops like Makian rushes at her with dinner on its mind.

"Hold on" shouts Omoi as he jumps before her and sends out a wind jutsu attack with his sword that cuts into the beast nose, making stop as it howls in pain.

Kin comes in from the side and unleashes a powerful sound wave from her mouth, distracting the beast long enough for Naruto's Shadow Clones to come up from beneath and send the monster high into the air.

"Now" shouts the real Naruto.

"I'm on it" replied Omoi as he leaps into the air and channels chakra into his sword. "Wind Style: Black Vacuum Slash."

The hit from the attack rips into the Makian, cleaving it in half and sending a rain of blood and guts falling from the sky. Naruto rushes in and picks Karin up, saving her from being bathed in demon gunk.

"Are you OK?" asked Naruto.

"Um...yeah, I'm fine" says a stunned Karin, her cheeks ablaze with a pink crimson color.

Naruto sits her back down, then looks to the others as they walk over to them. _'Damn, now this guy is a real man; my kind of man' _thinks Karin as she looks Naruto over.

"Look out guys 'cause we have more of these horned freaks incoming" shouts Kin as even more human sized Makian's lept down from above to surround them.

"Damn, this just doesn't end" complains Omoi as he raises his sword to stave off an attack.

Since arriving in the Makai Realm, Naruto and his group had the rather bad luck on landing right in the middle of a demon nesting ground and had been under constant attack from beast of various sizes and shapes. The latest being would could be described as bladed demons that were covered from head to toe in sharp objects.

"AAAAHHHHH" screams Kin, unleashing a supersonic wave and sending a dozen Bladjin Makian's flying back.

"Multi-Slasher" shouts Omoi as he rushes forward, cutting into as many Bladjin as his sword could reach.

Naruto, wielding a kunai and aid by his clones, fended off seven of these beast while trying to protect Karin, who wasn't really doing very much beyond saying "Over there. Watch your back. EEK." But no matter how many they sliced and diced, there just seemed to be only more waiting to take their place.

"Well, this can't possibly get any worse than it already is" states Omoi before slicing up three more.

A sudden roar draws their attentions skyward as the bodies of fifteen dragon like Makian's breach through the clouds and make a beeline straight at them and the Bladjin.

"You were saying, big mouth?" shouts Kin before one Bladjin manages to make contact with her, knocking her back as a small cut is made along her left shoulder.

The dragon like beast swoop down with their clawed legs reaching out to grab their next meal. The four genin duck and weave around, barely avoiding being picked up by the beast. Though the dragons didn't seem to mind getting any Bladjin as food was food after all. But the dragons that hadn't made a successful first grab were already circling around for another attempt.

"We aren't going to survive this, are we?" asked Karin as she looked at Naruto.

Naruto sighs before saying "Don't worry, we will."

Knowing what he had to do, Naruto reaches deep within himself and calls forth the power of Kyubi. Though using this power wasn't a first choice for him when Kakashi wasn't around, he knew he didn't have a choice now. Besides, Shikamaru and Ino weren't here so he was sparred having to explain it to them.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Karin as Naruto was surrounded by red/orange chakra.

Kin sees Naruto's change and goes wide eye as she says "Hey, what's going on here?"

_'Mazuko mode, huh? So, he's like Yugito and Bee-sensei' _thinks Omoi as he also watches.

The Bladjin back away at seeing Naruto while the dragon like demons just roar while continuing their decent at them. Naruto looks up at them with red eyes ablaze as he raises a hand and points to the dragons.

"**So, you wanna play with me? Fine, then let's PLAY!" **growls Naruto as he goes to attack.

**Next time: The true lords of hell...inner struggles...OUT OF CONTROL**


	22. 32 Escape from Your Hell 2

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.32: Escape from Your Hell 2**

Naruto roared as he went flying into the air, using the chakra of the Kyubi like a rocket to propel himself upward. The dragon like Makian's screech at him as they dodge away from his approach in order to better position themselves to fight back.

However, one wasn't quite fast enough as Naruto shreds his way through the beast claw, then unleashes a chakra claw that cuts deep into the beast back as it begins to fall. Landing on its back, Naruto growls as he uses a chakra claw to guillotine it's head right off.

A roar to his right jerks Naruto's head to the right, just in time to see another dragon diving right at him with it's hind claws opened wide. Grinning evilly, Naruto jumps from the back of the free falling dead dragon and collides with the second in mid-air, sending both spiraling fast towards the ground.

The impact creates a quake and a deep hole. The wings and tail of the dragon shoot out as it struggles to escape from Naruto. But Naruto's hold on it is strong and he uses his chakra claws to grip it by its head, then breaks the beast neck to kill it.

Naruto leaps clear of the crater and looks at the others who can only look at him with shock and horror. It was obvious to them that something had happened to Naruto when he had tapped into his demon power. His eyes were glowing a deep crimson and he had a sadistic smirk present on his face.

"Hey Konoha, are you OK?" asked Karin as she kept her eyes locked onto his.

"Rrrrrrrrrr" was Naruto's response in a low, resonating growl.

"What the heck is wrong with him? He looks like...like..." says Karin.

"Like a Jinchurriki who's power has gone out of control" replied Omoi.

Naruto's chakra cloak goes through a burst like pulse before he gets down onto all fours, growling like a beast, as he prepares to attack the others.

And then, the last of the dragons comes crashing down atop Naruto; leading the two of them to enter into a rolling skirmish. The dragon bites deep into Naruto's shoulder, making Naruto howl in pain before he presses both his hands against the dragons chest...

Then releases tow chakra claws outward and blasting a hole through the dragons body. And then, as the dragons dead body collapses onto the ground, Naruto does something truly unexpected. He roars out in victory, then begins to eat the dragon he had just killed.

"Oh kami, I think I'm gonna be sick" said Omoi as he looks away while Karin does get sick and vomits from the sound of flesh being ripped. Kin, however, just watches this in total fascination.

Naruto's blood covered head jerks up suddenly and looks around while sniffing the air. "AAAAAAAAAA" growls Naruto before breaking away from his meal and moving incredibly fast away from the others.

"Where's he going?" asked Kin.

"I think he smelt something he liked better than dead dragon" replied Omoi.

Without another word, Kin breaks into a run and follows after him as best she can. "Hey, are you crazy?" shouts out Karin.

Kin looks back and says "Maybe, but this guy is becoming fun and I don't want to miss out on that fun."

As Kin disappears from sight, Karin looks back at Omoi and ask "Well, what should we do?"

"The two of us will continue to look for the others. The way Konoha was when he changed, being around him now is the most dangerous thing we can do" replies Omoi as he goes to walk off.

"And what about him? And that Oto kunoichi?" asked Karin.

"We need to find Yugi...I mean, Yuna. If anyone can bring him back to his senses, it will be her. And as for that Oto girl? If she wants to die young by following him in his current state, then let her" said Omoi.

As they walk, Karin notices the bladed Makian's were leaving without attacking them. She then looks at Omoi and ask "Why are they not attacking us again? And why do you think they didn't attack that Konoha nin?"

"I think they may have been his servants. Those Bladjin have nine blade like protrusions on their bodies. From the color of the chakra cloak around Konoha, I'd say he holds the power of Kyubi. And from what I've heard, the Bladjin are one of the loyal beast that serve Kyubi. As for them not attacking us? I think they're falling after their reborn master" said Omoi.

"By the way, my names Karin."

"I'm Omoi. Now, lets go find the others."

**(with Yigito's group)**

"Hey, demon girl" said Dosu as he stepped up beside Yugito.

Not wasting a glance at him, yet scowling from the insulting name, she ask "What?" with a growl.

"Why aren't you using those Biju powers of yours to find the others? Wouldn't it be easier to track them that way?" asked Dosu.

"Why do you ask? Worried about your kunoichi teammate?" asked Yugito.

"I'm not worried about that tramp. But the sooner we find those worthless vermin, the sooner we can look for an escape from here, right?" asked Dosu, who wasn't interested in sticking around.

"Then maybe you should be helping me look for them instead of wasting time with stupid questions" replied Yugito.

Dosu glares at her, but doesn't say any more. But Kankuro does speak up, asking "He did bring up a good question though. Why aren't you using the power of Nibi directly to find the others, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Because doing so in this place would be...dangerous" replied Yugito.

"What do you, mean?" asked Shikamaru.

"We're in the Makai Realm, the home of all demons. Here, unlike in our world, the power of a demon is at its absolute zenith. In our world, Makian power is diminished by some degree; even the power of the Biju. Hence, why it's possible to kill Biju and transplant their powers into human host in ours" said Yugito.

"Wait, you're not saying that..." asked Kankuro.

"Correct" said Yugito as she turns round a corner with the others following close. "In this place, the Biju's power would be so raw and potent that even someone as skilled in controlling it as me and Bee-sensei would have difficulty in maintaining control. If it wasn't for that fear, I would be using it right now" explained Yugito.

"So basically, you calling your power would make you likely lose control of yourself and become as a beast. If that did happen, what would our chances be at stopping you?" asked Dosu.

"You three wouldn't have any chance in defeating me. Here, in this place and holding the power of a demon god within me, I'm invincible. My body would instantly heal any injury and being fatally injured is impossible. And if I go out of control here in this place, it would be bad, very bad for anyone near me. But, we do need to find the others cause I doubt that red head from Suna, that bubble blower from Kiri, and that spiky blonde kid from Konoha have any great control or knowledge about this truth" said Yugito in a worried tone.

_'Damn, she does know about Gaara' _thinks Kankuro, till her words really sink in and make him pale at the thought of Gaara going out of control here.

"A spiky blonde from my village? Wait, are you saying Naruto is a Jinchurriki?" shouts Shikamaru.

"That's right. I'm guessing you aren't in the know about that?" asked Yugito, earning a confirmation from Shikamaru. "I'm not surprised to hear that. Apart from Kumo, I've heard all the other villages treat their Jinchurriki as weapons and keep them isolated to some degree. Though Kumo also sees us as weapons, at least we're treated fairly and with kindness" said Yugito.

Shikamaru looks away from her as memories of Naruto from the past come to mind. Seeing him always alone, knowing that he lived alone. The looks of sadness and anger on his face. How things must have been for him growing up. And the fact he had never really given any thought really disturbed him.

"Are Jinchurriki really treated better in your village?" asked Kankuro.

"Well, I've never once felt isolated and alone and I've always had good friends and a surrogate family with lord Raikage to make me feel loved. So yeah, Jinchurriki are treated better. At least in my opinion, that is" replied Yugito.

"Must be nice having a place that gives you the feeling that you belong, that you're loved" adds Shikamaru as his gaze drifts skyward, earning an agreeing nod from Kankuro.

Hearing them say this presented an interesting opportunity for Yugito in her mind. Seeing as both Kankuro and Shikamaru seemed to genuinely care about their respected Jinchurriki, maybe she could talk them into talking with Naruto and Gaara about coming over to Kumo's side of things.

Well, that was something she might check into AFTER they had found everyone and escaped.

"Wait, did you guys feel that?" said Dosu, stopping quickly as he spoke.

"Feel what?" asked Kankuro.

Then, they all felt it. A slow pulse passing through the ground followed by another, then another. They quickly began looking around as they expected a Makian attack to come rather quickly in this place. But there was nothing, not that it made them feel any easier.

"What do you think that pulsing is, Yugito?" asked Shikamaru.

"It could be the step impact of a large Makian, or it could be the movement of subterranean Makian's called Molers. It could even be just tremors for all I know. But, to be safe, I'll use my Nibi-sense to find out for sure" replied Yugito before she knelt down and placed one hand firmly onto the ground.

"Wait, didn't you say using your Biju power would be risky, even for you?" inquired Kankuro.

"Relax, I'm only using Nibi-sense, which is a special trick I developed years ago. I call upon a small amount of my Biju chakra and use it with my own natural sensory abilities. So long as I don't enter Mazuko mode, I'll be fine...I think" said Yugito.

_'She thinks? Oh, perfect...' _thinks Dosu as he cautiously backs away to make some safety distance.

Yugito unleashes her sense into the earth, scanning the whole area out as far as she can. "I'm picking up life readings; but I'm not sure if it's Makian or just the indigenous plant life here. To be honest, it doesn't feel quite like either one, and yet...wait..."

"What is it, did you find something?" asked Shikamaru.

Yugito grins and says "Not something, but someone. Four someones to be precise. If my senses are right, I'm picking up the Kiri Jinchurriki and his teammate, and both your fellow kunoichi from Suna and Konoha."

"Seriously, Temari is with them? Oh, thank Kami. Wait, what about Gaara? Can you pick him up?" asked Kankuro.

Yugito shakes her head as she stands, saying "Sorry, but I can't detect anyone else within my range."

_'Well, at least I know Ino's safe. But Naruto...' _thinks Shikamaru before he turns to Kankuro and says "It's possible Gaara might be with Naruto. But, in any case, how far away are they?"

"If we hurry and if we don't run into any trouble, about fifteen minutes away" replies Yugito.

"Then what are we waiting for, lets move out" said Kankuro with new enthusiasm.

But, before any of them can start moving, a sudden sound stops their movement. Once again on edge, they look around carefully, and instantly jerk to their left at another sound. They then breath a sigh of relief when it turns out to be just a rock falling from higher up.

"Maybe we should get out of here before something drops in on us" says Shikamaru as he looks up, seeing nothing above them.

Getting a nod from everyone, they start to move. But, as Dosu starts to walk, he fails to notice several large rocks extend outward till it's position directly over him. Kankuro, getting a funny feeling, turns around and sees this event happening.

"Hey, above you..." shouts Kankuro.

Dosu's head jerks upward, just in time to see the stone foot come crashing down atop him, crushing him to death before he could even react. And then, the stone bodied Makian emerges from the wall. It appeared to look like a spider with various plant like growths covering it.

"What the hell?" shouts Kankuro.

"A Stonechulla; that was the weird half and half I was picking up" shouts Yugito as she jumps back.

"Can we beat it?" asked Shikamaru.

"If we work together, then maybe...DAMN" shouts Yugito as more and more suddenly become noticeable along the canyon wall. The whole area must be a hive for these monsters.

As the first Stonechulla comes at them with alarming speed, the three nin can only prepare themselves for what was assured to be a most difficult battle.

**(with Gaara's group)**

Karui was starting to get a little antsy, partly from the fact that they hadn't even started to move yet, partly from the unknown factor of that imposter and if he might return and attack them, and partly from just being irritated by her two remaining companions who were keeping to themselves.

Both Shino and Gaara hadn't said a thing since the incident with the imposter. Shino was sitting quietly on a rock, waiting patiently for one of his kikaichu to return, and Gaara was leaning back against a rock with his eyes closed. Was he sleep or not was a thought passing through her mind.

"So, any idea about how much longer this is gonna take?" asked Karui.

"As long at it needs to" was Shino's reply, making Karui role her eyes in annoyance.

Close by to them, two triangular shaped heads poked their way out of the ground. These creatures tilted their heads ever so slightly as they observed the three figures before them. They then look at one another before their heads sink back into the ground.

For the next ten minutes, Karui is subjected to even more silence from Shino and Gaara and with each moment, her annoyance and anger grows and grows. And then finally, she found she couldn't stand it anymore and it was time to take the initiative.

"OK, I've had enough of this, dammit" shouts Karui.

Shino just glances over at her and ask "Pardon?"

"You know exactly what I mean. We have been sitting her, on our butts, for the last hour or so. And for what? For those little pest of yours to look around and find something. Don't you think we'd do a lot better if we were a bit more active in this search?" says Karui.

"What we're doing is more than enough" said Shino, who decided to let the insult to his kikaichu go for now.

"The hell it is. Why the three of us are wasting time here, the others could be in danger. Who knows, they may need our help right now and..." Karui starts to say, but Shino cuts her off.

"Quiet please" asked Shino as he lift a hand out before himself.

"Oh no, the hell I'm gonna be quiet you hive freak" said Karui as she starts to walk towards him.

"Please be quiet, I'm trying to hear..." said Shino.

"I told you, don't tell me..." shouts Karui as she comes upon Shino.

"I said BE QUIET" said Shino in a low tone as a swarm of insects come rushing out of his coat and surround Karui.

The Kumo nin tenses up at first, thinking he was going to kill her. But then, she sees Shino return to looking at the outstretched finger of his raised hand. And then, she notices the single small kikaichu resting on his finger.

_'So, that's why he wanted me to be quiet' _thought Karui as she watched them.

After a few minutes, the kikaichu crawls into Shino's sleeve. Shino then makes a hand sign and says something under his breathe before settling back in and recalling the kikaichu that were surrounding Karui.

"So, what did it say?" she asked.

"To the east is an unusually strong chakra signature coming from a canyon area" replied Shino.

"Seriously, then why are we waiting around here for? Let's get going" said Karui as she was turning to leave.

"Not yet. It will take five minutes for my other scouts to return. We'll leave when they're back" says Shino.

Karui wanted to argue against this, but she was smart enough to not cross him twice, so she just nods. Taking a seat nearby, she takes another look around and then takes notice of something.

"Hey. Where did red go?" asked Karui.

Her answer is a sudden swishing sound in the air. One moment, there is nothing. Then the next, five odd shaped creatures had somehow appeared out of nowhere in the air above the two Gennin. Both Shino and Karui are barely able to react in time and dodge clear as the five creatures come right at them.

And then, just like that, the creatures were gone again. Drawing her blade, Karui's eyes quickly dart around as she says "Where are they? Can you see them?"

_'Strange, why didn't my kikaichu detect them coming?' _wondered Shino as he remained more composed and calm than Karui was being.

"Hey, behind you, bug boy" shouts Karui suddenly.

Shino quickly spins around, coming face to face with another creature as it swings its oddly spiral shaped hands at Shino. The creature moves very fast as it keeps on the Iwa nin who is forced to fall back, barely having enough time to do this; to say nothing of countering.

"Oh no you don't" shouts Karui as she comes in from behind it and manages to kick the creature into the air.

But the Makian does a mid air spin before shooting into the ground and sinking beneath as if the earth was like water. Getting back to back, the two nin look around nervously as they see countless heads popping out of the ground, look at them, then sink quickly back in.

"What are those things?" asked Karui.

"Molers, a subterranean insectoid species of Makian I read about once. On the ground, they can move incredibly fast. Under it, they can move at the speed of sound if not faster" replies Shino.

"OK, so can you tell me what was up with those eyes they have on their oddly shaped heads" asked Karui.

"Those aren't eyes, but muscle bulges that are hyper sensitive to movement and heat signatures. These things are hunters first and foremost, so be on your guard" said Shino.

Karui nods while keeping alert. For just a second, things remain quiet and peaceful, and then the attack begins. Two Molers burst out of the ground from the sides at the two Genin. Karui tries to slice one with her sword while Shino unleashes his kikaichu at them.

But the Molers easily dodge them and reenter the ground with stunning swiftness. Then, ten more shoot out from all sides and begin to spin wildly like drills as they come at them. Shino uses his kikaichu to form a shield as Karui releases a kenjutsu attack against the ones on her side.

Two Molers impact on Shino's shield, pushing him back before back flipping into the ground. The ones on Karui's side use one another as platforms, sending a few higher into the air while the others shoot back into the ground.

The Molers in the air screech before rocketing down at the gennin like missiles; forcing Shino and Karui to break apart to avoid being ran through by the beast. As they recover from their forced roll along the ground, they are able to see several Molers moving swiftly along the ground and coming right at them.

"Damn, they're too fast. We can't win like this" shouts Karui as she tries to hit one as it lunges at her, but misses and ends up being cut along her right shoulder.

"We need...to disable their sensors for a moment" replies Shino.

"You mean confuse their weird eyes?" asked Karui, earning a nod from Shino.

"OK then, let's give this a try. Wind style: Cyclonic Current" shouts Karui as she creates a funnel of wind around her sword blade, but then thrust the blade into the ground before releasing the waves power. The whole ground shakes from the force of the attack and the attacks stop.

Wasting no time, Shino sends out his kikaichu and uses them to lift both Karui and himself off the ground. As they rise higher, they see the Molars sticking their heads out of the ground, looking around before sinking back into the ground.

"Are we safe?" she asked.

"For now" replied Shino.

"OK, but why can't they not see us? I get the lack of vibrations along the ground, but what about that heat sensory ability?" asked Karui.

"It must be short range" said Shino.

Once the kikaichu had started to move them towards the canyon where something had been detected, Karui ask "So, what do you think happen to red?"

"Maybe he went to find his own home" was the confusing reply Shino gave.

**(Naruto and Kin)**

Naruto easily ripped the humanoid Makian before him in half, roaring as he did so. Once he was done basking in the moment, he looked around and found no other target in range of his sight. He gave off a frustrated growl at this lack of a challenges he was getting. So far, ever demon he had battled hadn't given him any serious competition.

Off to the side, Kin watch him with an ever growing fascination. She had always had an interest in dangerous men and Naruto was by far the most dangerous she had seen. Kabuto, he previous interest, had only caught her eye because she had seen first hand just how deadly his medical skills were.

But Naruto was far more dangerous than Kabuto; so dangerous that Kin knew that he, in his current state, could kill her without any hesitation or provocation from her. And that was a serious turn on for her. Plus, she heard that Jinchurriki were know for their insane stamina and endurance, which was a bonus in her eyes.

Seeing Naruto looking around for new prey, the hunger and fire in his eyes was definitely turning her on; so she decided to make a move and let this fiery Jinchurriki know that she was very willing to become his mate.

"Are you seeking a new challenge, lover?" she asked him aloud before stepping forward towards him.

Naruto just ignored her at first till she was only a few steps away; making him move suddenly to look at her dangerously. Kin only stopped for a second, then gave him a seductive smile as she finished walking up to stand before him.

"If you want, I'm more than willing of giving you a new challenge" said Kin as she reached up and showed some flesh from her shoulder.

Naruto cocked his head a little, showing his confusion at what she was doing. "Oh, I think you know what I want. But, are you MAN enough to give it to me?" asked Kin as she reached out and took Naruto's chakra cloak cover hand and placed it on her chest.

"Do you feel that? Just being near you like this is making my heart race like it never has before. What do you say we find out what else you can make me feel that I've never felt before" said Kin as she placed her free on his shoulder before leaning in and pressing her lips to his.

For Kin, this kiss was like fire. Contact with the chakra cloak was creating a burning feeling for her, but Kin ignored it as she deepened the kiss; letting him know that she was his and his alone. Finally, she ended the kiss and pulled away from the Jinchurriki.

"Well, how about it? Do you want to continue and go further?" asked Kin.

For just a second, Naruto just stood their with his eyes closed. But then, Naruto's eyes shoot open and glow with a rage as he roars and a chakra hand shoots out from his chest and slams into Kin, sending her flying back, hitting a rock hard, and knocking her out.

Naruto walks over to her and looks down before spitting off to the side. He then says a rather inappropriate Makian word to describe Kin before his head jerks up and looks to the west. He was picking up to rather powerful chakra signatures. Signatures that were as strong as his own.

He was sensing Jinchurriki.

Without wasting a second longer, Naruto turns and leaps away, leaving the unconscious Kin laying on the ground. Once he had departed, movement as the ground opened up followed by a series of tentacles reaching up and out, grabbing onto Kin's unconscious form, and pulling her into the hole which closed up afterwords. Her final fate would be forever unknown; would she become food or something worse?

**(with Temari and Utakata)**

"I don't like the fact we split up like this. It's leaving us vulnerable" said Temari as she and Utakata scanned the area.

"It couldn't be helped. Ino passing out suddenly did worry Kabuto, so he needed to attend to her while we went ahead to see what we could find. Besides, we can get back to them quickly if need be" replied Utakata.

"I know, so lets hurry this up then" said Temari as she used her metal fan to slice through some dead trees. "Say, what do you think happened to her anyways? I doubt it was simply fatigue."

"The link of empathy" replied Utakata.

"The what?" asked Temari, stopping to look at him.

"Back in the forest of death, Ino tried to use her mind reading jutsu on an Ame Phantom. But he rebounded it back onto her, sending her into a coma. When we found her and her teammates, I used a power I had to send one of her teammates into her mind to bring her back" explained Utakata.

"OK, but that doesn't explain that link you were talking about" said Temari.

"I told them that there could be side effects from doing this. My guess, to which Kabuto agrees, is that Ino has gained, due to her family's jutsu, a permanent mental link with her teammate; Naruto. Her sudden passing out likely means that something has happened to him" said Utakata.

"A psychic link, huh? Just what would she sense then? And does it work both ways?" asked Temari.

"Anything that would effect Naruto, so long as it is strong enough; she would feel to some degree as well. For example, if he is sad, she may feel it to if his sadness is strong enough. As for Naruto feeling anything? Only if he and Ino are close together will he detect her" explained Utakata.

"Can this link become stronger? Could it help us to find Naruto and anyone else with him?" asked Temari.

"In time, yes. If the right circumstances come into play, then the link can be made stronger for the both of them. But right now, it's not strong enough for her to use it to help locate him. Only feel if something drastic has happened to him" said Utakata.

"I see" said Temari before returning to her look out. "Out of curiosity, how could that link become stronger?"

"Well, if she uses her families jutsu to read his mind or to communicate with him telepathically, it could help to strengthen it. There are other ways it can be strengthened as well" explained Utakata.

Temari nods at hearing that, but then the sudden sound of something approaching brought both her and Utakata to being alert and ready for battle. But instead of being an enemy, it was Omoi and Karin who had found them.

"Oh thank god, finally some familiar and non demonic faces" said Karin as she sighed in relief.

"Are you two all right? You guys look a little ruffed up" said Temari as she walked over to them.

"Yeah, we're fine. Just being attacked by Makian's covered in blades and dragons in the sky can throw you for a loop, ya know" replied Omoi.

"Is it just the two of you?" asked Utakata.

"No, we had that sound girl and that spiky blonde kid from Konoha with us, but Blondie used his Jinchurriki power to slay these dragons, then he went bat shit crazy on us before running off with sound girl following after him with hearts in her eyes. We decided to to follow suit" said Omoi.

_'So, it's as I feared. Using our powers here would be dangerous' _thought Utakata.

"What about my brothers from Suna? Have you seen either of them?" asked Temari.

"Sorry, but you two are the first we've seen since separating from the others" replied Karin.

"OK, then lets go rejoin Kabuto and Ino for now, then we can all look around together" said Utakata, earning a nod from everyone before they all started back.

_'Gaara, please don't do something foolish and use your powers' _thought Temari as they walked.

**(with Kabuto and Ino)**

Ino's eyes opened slowly as she returned to consciousness. For a second, she was confused by the sight of the red and black sky. But then, it came flooding back to her as she sat up quickly and regretted the sudden movement as her a deep, rhythmic pain shot through her head.

"Are you alright?" asked Kabuto as he gave her a wet clothe from his medical pouch.

Ino took it, giving him a slight nod with her head before placing the rag against her forehead, then asked "What happened to me?"

"I'm still not totally sure, from a medical standpoint. One minute, the four of use were walking along, and then you stopped; saying your head was hurting a little. And then, you collapsed to your knees, crying out in pain as you clutched your head, then you passed out" said Kabuto.

"I did, really? I don't remember anything; my heads all fuzzy. Any ideas about what happened to me?" asked Ino as she looked around.

"Well, Utakata believes that when he used his power to help Naruto bring you out of your coma, it might have created some sort of mental link between the two of you. Of course, as a medical practitioner, I am naturally skeptical. But still, it does make the most sense" said Kabuto.

"OK, so what does this mental link have to do with my fainting episode?" asked Ino.

"Again, this is just Utakata's guess. But, he believes that something has happened to Naruto. Something that created a strong pulse that allowed you to feel what was happening to some extent" said Kabuto.

"Wait, are you saying Naruto could be dead?" asked Ino in a worried shout.

"I asked him that and he doubts it. Utakata believes that if Naruto dies, you would likely die as well and vice versa. Of course, he does say that this is very unlikely, but not impossible. Truth is, most of this is guess work because this hasn't happened before" said Kabuto.

"Oh great, sharing...something with prank boy. Oh well, it could be worse, I guess. At least it isn't captain lazy" said Ino before she realized they were alone. "Speaking of which, were is Utakata and that sand kunoichi?"

"Scouting around while I look after you. They should be back soon though" said Kabuto.

"OK" said Ino before she took a meditating pose and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked Kabuto while he was putting his medical supplies away.

"Trying a little something my father taught me. I'm going to see if this "link" between me and Naruto can help me locate him, or at least see if he is alive" said Ino before returning to her meditating.

Kabuto watched her as she reached out using both her usual sensory abilities and what she believed was the link between her and Naruto. After a few moments, her eyes open and she says...

"Naruto, he's..." said Ino before the ground between them erupts, blasting them back.

"What the hell?" shouts Ino as she looks away.

"Is it a Makian?" said Kabuto as he shields his eyes.

He gets his answer as a sand tendril shoots out from the dust cloud and slams into him, blowing him back into the ground. As he tries to get up, another sand tendril comes down, slamming against his head and knocking him out cold.

Ino turns and tries to run after getting to her feet. But a sand tendril catches her around her ankle and makes her fall onto the ground. She tries to break free, but only finds herself being pulled back towards the source of the tendril. Looking back in fear, she sees Gaara at the center of the clearing smoke with a wild look in his eyes.

"What do you want?" shouts Ino while still trying to escape from him.

"Make me feel alive" replied Gaara in a weird voice as he keeps pulling her closer to her doom.

**Next time: what it means to be human...escape from your hell**


	23. 33 Escape from Your Hell 3

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.33 Escape from Your Hell 3**

Anko came to a stop at the base of Saphora Falls, taking a moment to take in the beautiful scenery around here. Despite her usual attitude about everything; she was still a girl and things like this did warm her heart and made her feel like she use to back when she was younger.

Well, that was enough with the procrastinating on her part. She had a job to do and then to make a return to the village. By now, the move has most likely already started and that meant she had a slightly longer trip back home awaiting her.

"Hey, Kakashi? Are you out here?" shouts Anko, the sound from her yell making nearby birds take to the air. Getting no response, Anko pouts her cheeks before adding a little chakra to her voice, then screams out "HEY CYCLOPS, FRONT AND CENTER."

For just a second, there was still nothing, and then Kakashi emerged from the far side of the cascading waters and gave Anko his usual dull and bored look. After a moment, Kakashi's eyes finally adjusted enough from the darkness of the cave to recognize Anko and he quickly jumped over to join her.

"Anko; did lord Hokage send you?" asked Kakashi.

"Yeah, he wanted me to deliver a message to you" said Anko.

Kakashi reaches up and scratches the back of his head and says "There was no need for that. I already sent lord Hokage a message stating I would be taking a quick sabbatical for some private business before returning home and that I would explain the details when I got back."

"That's not the reason he sent me. Besides, I left before he got this message anyways" said Anko.

The look in Kakashi's eye changes and becomes more serious as he ask "Has something happened?"

"Lord Hokage has learned that somehow, Orochimaru has located where the village currently is. Furthermore, he apparently is going to be attacking within a years time; regardless of where we relocate to. So, for safety reasons, Konoha has been relocated to the ancient Senju village location" explained Anko.

"That is indeed serious. Is lord Hokage sure this intel is reliable?" asked Kakashi.

"Sure enough that he's taken such a drastic action for everyone's safety. I've already got the word out to Hayate about this so he can bring the kids home safely. I just needed to inform you before I head back" said Anko.

"Good; well, inform lord Hokage that I should be returning back within three days if not sooner. So exactly where is the Senju village anyways?" asked Kakashi.

"Before that, mind telling me what's so important that you needed some personal time?" asked Anko.

Before Kakashi could reply, the waterfall behind him and Anko suddenly explodes outward as Sasuke emerges with a fully formed Chidori roaring from his fingertips. Sasuke smiles to himself at how far he had come in such a short period of time.

"Um, mind explaining this one to me?" asked Anko.

Kakashi turns back to look at Sasuke and says "Good job, Sasuke. Go and take a break for a minute while I finish up my business here, then we'll get back to work."

Sasuke nods before reentering the falls; then Kakashi turns back to Anko and says "Like I said before; I'll explain this to lord Hokage when I return. Now, the Senju village location?"

Anko sighs and says "Alright; but don't forget that this does violate sensei and student training policies unless Naruto gave his consent beforehand."

"This...has nothing to do with Naruto, not at this time anyways" said Kakashi.

"OK; anyways, here's the location of Senju Haven" said Anko as she began her explanation.

**(training tower)**

Konan reentered the massive room and found Hayate, Baki, and Chojuro walk over to her; expecting news. Once the four of them where together, Baki asked "Well?"

"I've sent word to Ame and a team has been dispatched for this. However, it will take at least two hours before they can get here. And that's assuming they don't run into anything to delay them" lied Konan, who hadn't sent word to Ame following her talk with Madara.

"That's going to take to long. There's no way the kids can survive that long on their own there" said Chojuro.

"I know, but there's nothing else we can do. Unless, of course, any of you have an alternate idea" said Konan, faking sympathy. She then notices that they were two Jonin short and ask "Where's Roushi and Killer Bee at, anyways?"

A sudden blast of energy from below finally catches Konan's attention as she looks down; her eyes going wide with shock as she sees the two senior Jinchurriki using their powers to continue forming a stable portal to the Makai Realm.

"They had an alternate idea that they decided to try" said Hayate.

"Is that a portal to Makai?" asked an amazed Konan.

"Hopefully; we'll know soon enough based on it's current size and shape" said Baki.

As Konan and the other Jonin begin to walk down to join the two Jinchurriki, she wonders if they could actually succeed. And if so, could it interfere with Madara's plan? And then, as she looks up for a slight second, she sees Madara's form looking in from a window higher up in the room.

_'So, you're already aware of this' _thought Konan before returning her gaze to the two Jinchurriki.

Madara likely was keeping an eye on them to see if they could succeed in this venture. And if they did; then how would Madara respond? One thing was for certain, what transpired within the next few minutes were going to be very interesting indeed.

**(Makai Realm)**

Ino clawed desperately as Gaara's sand continued to draw her closer and closer to him. Allowing herself a quick glance at him, she could see something in his eyes. It was like a strong desire combined with a lust for blood. What ever it was she was seeing she knew she didn't want to get any closer.

Reaching into her pouch, she pulls out several kunai with paper bombs attached to them, lit the paper bombs up, then chucks them at Gaara. But another wave of sand shoot up and absorb the kunai and stifling the paper bombs to ensure that they don't explode.

"What do you want with me?" shouts Ino as she returns to trying to break free.

Gaara just gives her a scary grin while pulling her ever closer. _'Oh hell, this guy is insane. Is he planning on killing me; or eating me? Wait, what if he plans to...oh hell no; there is no way I'm losing my virginity to a psychopath'_ mentally shouts Ino as she considers taking a kunai to her leg.

"Hey Kabuto; four eyes, SAVE ME" screams Ino to Kabuto's unconscious form; getting no response from him in return.

Did she really have to cut her leg off to escape? Closing her eyes, Ino makes a final prayer for rescue.

_'Naruto, Shikamaru, anyone; help me, PLEASE.'_

As Ino gets within arms length of Gaara, he goes to reach for her before his head suddenly jerks up to look above him. As quickly as it had began, it ends as Ino finds the hold on her leg go limp as Gaara jumps away just a split second before something fast slams into the spot Gaara had been standing at.

"AAAA" shouts Ino as the impact creates a blast that sends her airborne and making her land hard on her stomach a few yards away.

She groans in pain as she opens her eyes, first seeing Gaara standing a ways away from her; his eyes focused on the smoking crater he had just been standing at. Gaara's eyes now had a full blood lust look upon them; as if he had found a perfect challenge for him.

_'Now what's happening?' _wonders Ino as she turns her attention to the smoking spot.

As the smoke clears, Naruto's form becomes evident to her; making Ino say a prayer for being rescued.

"Naruto, thank Kami you're here. I thought this guy was going to...Naruto?" said Ino as she finally notices that Naruto was surrounded with a red/orange cloak of chakra and his eyes aglow with fiery energy.

Naruto doesn't acknowledge Ino's presence, nor does he even waste a single glance at her. His eyes stay totally fixed on Gaara. Naruto growls as his chakra cloak does a burst of wild energy that heats the air around him.

Gaara smiles a wicked smile as his sand begins to form around him, slowly grafting itself to his arms and legs to make him bigger and form claws. More sand comes up and covers the left side of his face and he growls happily at finally finding a real challenge.

"**You...make me feel...ALIVE" **roars Gaara as a mountain of sand erupts from behind him; racing towards Naruto.

Naruto responds by roaring like a feral beast before getting down on all fours. The sand envelopes Naruto, trapping him within. The sphere of sand tries to constrict inwards to crush him; but fails as bulges start to form in the surface before the sand explodes and Naruto shoots out; slamming into Gaara and sending the two of them rolling back in a deadly struggle of beast.

As Ino gets up, fear and uncertainty rush through her like waves on a beach as she watches the two of them fight one another in a battle to the death. As a tear wells up in her eyes, she finds herself wondering...

_'Naruto, what's happening to you?'_

**(with Yugito's group)**

Kankuro dodged to his left as a Stonechulla slammed a rocky leg down to quash him. Bringing his Crow puppet around, he fires off a series of poison needles at the beast; growling in annoyance as the attack bounced off the Makian's granite hide. Clearly, this wasn't his field of battle.

Shikamaru pondered if he could use his Shadow Possession jutsu against these guys, but realized that this wasn't an option for several reasons. For one, these things were very fast and getting a hold of one would be difficult. Plus, he needed to be motionless to use that jutsu and staying motionless in a fight like this would be fatal. And there was no way he could get all of them caught in the jutsu.

Jumping away as one Stonechulla comes at him and slams its head into the ground, Shikamaru pulls out a kunai and wraps an explosive tag on it, then throws it on the beast. By luck and chance, the kunai hits and sticks into the small crook that connected the Stonechulla's head and main body together.

Making a hand sign to trigger the explosive, Shikamaru ducks around a large boulder as the head of the beast and blown clear off its body; sending the head and pieces of rock crashing down around him while the body collapses to the ground.

"I did it, and now for the...what? Impossible" said Shikamaru as the severed head lifted into the air and reconnected to the body, bringing the Stonechulla back to life again.

"Hey, what happened? I thought you had it" shouts Kankuro who had seen Shikamaru's move.

"How would I know? These damn things are really getting annoying" shouts back Shikamaru.

Yugito fires off a lighting jutsu into the opened mouth of a Stonechulla, making the whole beast explode from the attack. But she curses under her breath as the creature pulls itself together again to continue its attack at her.

"I was afraid of this. These Stonechulla's aren't the real Makian's here" shouts Yugito.

"What do you mean?" shouts back Shikamaru as he blocks a brush sweep by the leg of one Makian.

"What we're seeing is a rock armor that's covering the real Makian. I think these guys are really small fry who make these big bodies out of materials in the surrounding landscape to help them hunt and survive" replies Yugito.

"Then how the hell do we defeat these things?" shouts Kankuro while using Black Ant to jump over the Stonechulla he was fighting against.

"We need to find the real Makian and kill it. But it could be hiding anywhere inside the stone armor. And I'm betting it keeps moving around inside its body to protect itself. And worse yet is that if we don't kill them quickly after breaking its armor, it will recover and we'll have to break it again" replies Yugito.

"OK, simple. This should be easy" joked Kankuro, though he himself didn't find it funny at all.

"Simple? Yeah right. This is such a drag" said Shikamaru.

As Yugito jumps back to avoid another attack, the Stonechulla takes her by surprise by firing off the stones making up its attacking leg at her. She is hit and sent slamming into the side of the canyon hard; coughing up blood as she slides down onto the ground.

As the Stonechulla bares down on her, she looks up at it with disgust and thinks _'Damn it, I have no choice. If I don't enter Mazuko mode, then we'll die here.'_

Just as Yugito prepares to enter her Jinchurriki form, a shout from above brings her and the Stonechulla looking up just in time to see Karui come flying down with her sword drawn and ablaze with lightning chakra.

"Stay away from lady Yugito, you scum" screams Karui as she slices through the head of the beast.

As the creature collapses, Karui spins around and helps Yugito to her feet and ask "Are you OK?"

"Just a sore back and some injured pride. But your timing was perfect. How did you find us?" asked Yugito.

"That bug kid from Iwa; he's a pretty good tracker, if not lacking in social skills" replied Karui.

Back on her feet, Yugito sees Shino as his kikaichu swarm out and begin to rush around the Stonechulla that are attacking Kankuro and Shikamaru. The kikaichu pass through the cracks and spaces within the Stonechulla's bodies; causing them all to slow down and finally break apart onto the ground.

"A tactical retreat would be wise" said Shino in his usual monotone voice.

Seeing that the kikaichu were impeding the restoration of the Stonechulla's rock armor, the others quickly rush up the side of the mountain to its top. Once everyone was safe, Shino follows after them and once he had arrived top side, recalls his kikaichu to himself.

"We should leave quickly, less they decided to pursue once they have recovered" said Shino.

"No arguments here" said Karui.

Nodding in agreement, Yugito turn around and leads them away from the canyon swiftly. After a few minutes, they finally cleared the canyon area and there was no sign of pursuit.

"So, do you think we're out of the woods yet?" asked Kankuro.

"Not by a long shot; we are still in a realm of demons after all" said Karui.

"We should be safe from further attacks from those Stonechulla. I doubt they would venture far outside their territory unless driven by hunger" said Yugito.

Shikamaru's eyes catch sight of a weird torrent of energy in the sky not far away from them and ask "Hey guys, what do you think that is?"

"I'm detecting a strong surge of chakra from that point. I believe two great powers are clashing beneath that swell of power" said Shino.

Using her Nibi-sense, Yugito confirms this. "Two Jinchurriki are in combat there. I can't tell if they're fighting other Makian's or one another. But we need to get to them as soon as possible."

Getting a nod from the others, Yugito leads them towards the clashing Jinchurriki.

**(with the Jinchurriki battle)**

Burst of demonic energy ripped through the air as Naruto and Gaara went at each other with ferocious intensity. By now, Gaara had completely fallen into a bestial mind much like Naruto had and both were moving and attacking as quickly as they could.

The sand beneath Gaara launches him into the air, making Naruto roar before jumping after him. Throwing his arms out wide, the sand forms into a web shape behind Gaara before shooting outwards in a series of ever shifting spiked poles down at Naruto.

Using his chakra, Naruto dodges each one; bobbing and weaving around each one as he closes in on Gaara. One sand pole manages to come in from behind and runs Naruto through his leg, making him howl as the others redirect themselves and move in to slice him into pieces.

Naruto's eyes glow with red energy as his rage releases a wave of demonic chakra that destroys the sand poles; then blast himself upwards to get to Gaara. He raises his chakra covered hand, then sends it slicing down at Gaara, but the Suna Jinchurriki reacts quickly and forms a barrier of sand to block the attack.

A struggle then begins between the two Jinchurriki; Gaara try to use his sand barrier to repel Naruto who, in turn, is pushing his chakra covered hand down to break through the barrier and kill his prey.

Finally, Naruto's attack begins to penetrate the barrier; making Gaara's anger rise before his channels wind chakra into his mouth, then waits to fire. Finally, Naruto's attack breaks through the barrier, but Gaara fires an air bullet into his body before Naruto could strike him; blast Naruto back and away.

As Naruto recovers in midair, Gaara forms a sand tendril and slams it hard into Naruto; sending him rocketing towards the ground. Knowing that he couldn't stop his descent, Naruto fires off a chakra claw which grabs onto Gaara's leg before he can dodge and brings him down; forcing him to follow.

Both Naruto and Gaara slam into the earth with enough force to create a small quake. Ino looks up from her attempt to awaken Kabuto and sees both Naruto and Gaara rising from the craters their falls had form; the chakra surrounding them becoming wilder looking.

"No...stop it...please, no more...stop, please" said Ino, her voice barely loud enough for even her to hear it due to her own fears and sorrow from seeing this.

Naruto and Gaara both roar before charging at each other; a stream of chakra being emitted from behind as they move; both having raised a hand to slam into the body of the other.

"NO, DON'T DO IT. PLEASE STOP" screams Ino as she gets to her feet.

Neither Naruto and Gaara pay her words any mind as they slam full force into one another, creating a thunderous explosion. Ino covers her eyes to avoid being blinded as she is forced back, hitting the ground hard. But, she keeps her gaze on the center of the collision and sees both Naruto and Gaara being blast back away from each other, impacting into the ground, and not moving afterwords.

Ino picks herself up; her feet wobbly for a few moments, before she begins to walk towards Naruto. As she gets closer, she sees Naruto's eyes are closed and his chakra cloak was wavering and slightly faded. Looking to Gaara; she sees that he is also unconscious; the chakra having vanished, and his sand armor covering was cracked and partly falling away.

Returning to looking at Naruto, Ino gets up to him and gets down onto her knees as she reaches out to him. "Wait, don't touch him" shouts Utakata as she and the others arrive on the scene.

"Gaara" shouts Temari as she rushes over to her younger brothers side.

Karin moves to examine Kabuto as Omoi ask "What the hell happened here?"

"The red head...Gaara, appeared and attacked us. He knocked Kabuto out, then he...I don't know what he was going to do. Then Naruto shows up, covered chakra and they battled each other. After exchanging blows, they collided with one another and...well, this was the result" explained Ino.

"Karin, can you take care of Kabuto for me?" asked Utakata.

"Already on it" said Karin as she was using her special talent to heal the Kiri nin.

"Omoi, keep guard for us" asked Utakata.

"Right" replied Omoi before jumping onto higher ground to begin looking around.

"Utakata, what's happening here? What happened to Naruto" asked Ino as she begins to tear up.

"I guess you don't know. I'll tell you, but please try to not be scared from what I'm about to say" said Utakata as he looked at her.

"OK" said Ino with a nod.

"Naruto, Gaara, and myself are Jinchurriki; humans who have the power of Makian's sealed within ourselves. To be more specific, the Biju or demon gods that ruled over all of Makai" said Utakata.

"Naruto...he's a demon?" said Ino in disbelief.

"Not exactly; we have the powers of demons but aren't demons ourselves. It's really confusing, I know, but I don't know how better to explain it. Being here in the Makai Realm is dangerous as we can lose ourselves to the power if we're not careful. Something they had to find out the hard way" said Utakata.

"I...I don't know what to say. Why didn't Naruto tell me sooner?" asked Ino in disbelief.

"Because of how the world, or at least the part we live in, view and treat our kind. In the eyes of the masses, we're nothing more than weapons without thoughts or feelings. We exist to make war and conquer; nothing more. This has made many look upon us and hate us" said Utakata.

"That's horrible; unforgivable" said Ino as her tears finally began to fall. She then looks at Naruto and says "I'm so sorry, Naruto, for any part I played in that." She then looks back at Utakata and ask "Can you help him?"

Utakata shakes his head and says "No, not while we're here anyways. Naruto and Gaara's last attack against each other knocked the wind out of them, but they'll recover soon and continue their fight. But this time, we might get dragged into it."

"But there has to be something we can do" said Ino in desperation.

"Well, if Naruto's true self could be reached and awoken from being dormant within his mind, then that should bring him out of his Mazuko mode and bring him back under control" explained Utakata.

"I understand; now it's time I did something for him" said Ino as she prepares to use her mind transfer jutsu. Utakata places a hand on her shoulder and says "Are you sure? Your mind could be destroyed by trying to do this; trying to bring Naruto out of the beast."

"Your point is? Naruto took a risk when he went into my head. What kind of friend would I be if I can't do the same. You just go help sand boy and leave Naruto to me" said Ino before mind diving into Naruto's head.

_After a moment of disorientation, Ino found herself standing atop a large hill the overlooked a lake. The sky was cloudy and the colors of this world were rather dark, bland, and murky. She could make out a stream of red/orange chakra shooting into the sky like a pillar and figured that Naruto was the source of this pillar. So, Ino stepped forward and jumped down from the hill._

_Landing at the base of the lake, next to a rickety old tree that appeared dead from the lack of leaves, Ino quickly spots Naruto. He was suspended in mid air at the center of the lake; an arm partly shoved into a small shrine that had the off colored chakra rushing out and enveloping his body._

"_Naruto" shouts Ino as she rushes onto the water, running towards him._

_She passes through a wooden arch, and reaches out to touch Naruto in the hopes that doing this would let him know that she was there. Instead, as soon as her hand touched the chakra, she found herself being blasted back to the shore of the lake._

"_Ow, that could have gone better" said Ino as she picked herself up._

_A sudden burst of energy alerted her to the possibility that Naruto was starting to wake up in the bad way. Well, that and the fact his eyes were slowly opening to reveal a glow of red anger. Knowing that there wasn't time to be subtle, Ino throws caution to the wind and rushes at Naruto again; this time wrapping her arms around him in a hug so as to keep from being blasted back again._

_The burning feeling makes Ino cry out in pain, but she keeps her hold on Naruto as he becomes aware of her presence and struggles to knock her off of him._

"_Naruto, please stop this. It's me, Ino. You have to get control of yourself, Naruto" cries out Ino._

_Naruto just roars out his replies and continues to struggle to be free of her. As she strengthens her grip, an image flash's through Ino's mind; an image of Naruto hearing the words freak, demon, and monster. And then she feels Naruto feeling that he is all that and more horrible things._

"_No, it's not true. You're not a demon, Naruto; you're not a monster or a freak. You are you, so please fight this rage, please" shouts Ino._

_Naruto ignores her, leading her to add "Naruto, don't forget about who you are. Don't forget about the people who care about you either. There's me, Shikamaru, Kakashi-sensei, Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Iruka-sensei, lord Hokage, Konohamaru. We all care about you."_

_Though Naruto continues to struggle, Ino can feel in both his actions and in his emotions that she was indeed starting to reach the real him. But it still wasn't enough. So, that led her to go for broke._

"_And what about Hinata?" says Ino._

_At that, Naruto's struggle comes to a sudden stop and Ino feels confusion welling up within him._

"_Do you remember Hinata? She's the girl from Tamatsa's Hyuga Clan. You and Kakashi-sensei were sent on a mission to escort her to her fiance. But instead, you saved her from a hard life and gave her a chance to choose her own future; to make her own destiny" says Ino._

"_**Hinata?" **said Naruto as an image of Hinata popped into his mind._

"_Ask yourself this, Naruto. Do you want her to see you like this? Is this the Naruto Uzumaki you want her to come to know? If not, then fight this and go back to being Naruto and not the Kyubi. Go back to being you" screams Ino before the pain from contact becomes to much and she falls back from Naruto._

_For a second, Naruto just stands there. Then, he roars again. But this time, the chakra surrounding Naruto recedes and is forced back into the shrine. As soon as all the chakra had returned, Naruto quickly closes the small door before collapsing to his knees, breathing and sweating heavily._

_For a second, Naruto is confused by what has happened and where he is, then it starts to come back to him and he sees Ino laying on the ground._

"_Ino" shouts Naruto before moving to her and lifting her up into his arms._

_Ino opens her eyes a little and cracks a smile while saying "Its about time you woke up, idiot boy."_

"_Yeah, sorry about that" said Naruto, grinning a little._

"_Well, at least we're even now. Anyway, let's be getting back. This place is a little depressing" said Ino._

"_Yeah" said Naruto as the two of them glow before disappearing._

_But, no sooner than they had faded away, the water rippled as a foot came into contact with the water._

"_**See you soon, other side!"**_

"Hey, look, I think Ino did it" said Kabuto as he walked over to Naruto and Ino as they started to awaken from the experience.

"Kabuto, I see you're still with us" said Ino as she sat up.

"Looks like it" said Kabuto who then looks at Naruto and ask "Are you OK?"

"Thanks to Ino" said Naruto as he and her got back onto their feet, then joined the others around Gaara.

"What about this guy?" asked Karin as she looked down at Gaara.

"We need to find a way of getting him out of his sub-Mazuko state he's currently in; otherwise he'll go ballistic again when he wakes up" said Utakata.

"Then its a good thing we showed up when we did" says Yugito as she and her group arrived on the scene and quickly headed over to them.

"Gaara? Is he OK, Temari?" asked Kankuro as he went to her side.

"For the moment, I guess" was her reply.

"Naruto, Ino, are you two OK?" asked Shikamaru.

"Oh, nothing new" said Ino with Naruto nodding to that.

"Hey Karui, miss me?" asked Omoi.

"The hell I did" replied Karui, though she smiled a little at seeing him OK.

"So, did he go into Mazuko mode?" asked Yugito as she knelt down by Gaara and Utakata.

"Both he and Naruto did; Ino helped get Naruto back under control. But Gaara here is still a threat" replied Utakata.

"Then stand back. I'll bring him out of it" said Yugito.

Once everyone was far enough back, Yugito makes a series of quick hand signs before pressing her hand against Gaara's face and says "Suppression of the Beast Seal jutsu." A pulse of chakra shoots from her hands and into Gaara, causing him to jerk violently for a second before the remaining sand on his body finally cracks and falls away. A few moments later, Gaara's eyes open and he sits up.

"Where am I? What happened?" asked Gaara.

"It's OK, little brother. You're back with us now" said Kankuro.

"This place caused you to give into your Biju power and the Kumo nin here help you get you sanity back" adds Temari.

As Gaara is helped to his feet, Ino sees something close by taking shape and ask "Hey guys, what's that?"

**(the human realm)**

"Almost there" said Roushi as he and Bee nearly had the portal formed.

But just as it was finally stabilizing, a sudden pulse of energy comes rushing around it and the portal explodes, sending both senior Jinchurriki flying back. The other Jonin rush over to check on them.

"What happened?" asked Baki.

"We making the portal for the zoom; instead it go boom, fool ya fool" rapped Bee who was a little disoriented to rap his usual lingo.

"Translation?" asked Hayate to Roushi.

"Something...or someone interfered with the portal. That energy that appeared and enveloped the portal was not a natural thing" said Roushi

"Are you sure about that?" asked Chojuro, bringing everyone to look where he was looking.

Their eyes go wide with surprise as they see another portal forming within the room. Konan gives herself a moment to look up, thinking _'I guess the hour is up.'_

From high over head and looking down at them, the masked man chuckles before saying quietly "It will take a minute for the portal to fully open, then thirty seconds to pull them back over to this side. Just enough time; first I reminded them of what they are, now I'll give them a glimpse of their futures."

And with that, the masked man made several hand signs to activate his finally plan within the plan.

**(Makai Realm)**

"No question about it, it's a portal back home" said Yugito.

"You mean, our sensei's have saved us?" asked Karin hopefully.

"Doubtful seeing as making a portal to this place is difficult and tricky. More than likely, what ever force is responsible for bringing us her is now going to send us back" said Utakata.

"Who cares about the how or the why; I'm just happy we're escaping from this hell" said Karui.

"I'm not going" said Gaara unexpectedly, catching everyone by surprise.

"Gaara, what are you talking about?" asked Temari.

"Yeah, there's no way we're leaving you here" adds Kankuro.

"It would be for the best. A world like this is perfect for a monster like me" said Gaara.

"That's bull and you know it" said Naruto suddenly, making everyone look at him.

"It is not. I am a monster. Many in our village call me a monster and treat me as such. I kill others and enjoy it. The sight of blood excites me. And I hate everything and everyone; myself most of all. How does that not make me a monster?" asked Gaara.

To Gaara's surprise, Naruto steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder and says "Because, you're human."

Seeing Gaara's stunned reaction, Naruto continues and says "I know it's hard to believe, but it is true. Do you hurt? Do you feel alone? Do you cry? I know I do, a lot. And my childhood wasn't all fun and games either. But I decided something a long time ago."

"What?" asked Gaara.

"If people insult me, I'll ignore them. If they call me a monster or a demon, then I'll find a way to prove them wrong. If they say I'll fail at something, then I'll show them by succeeding. Don't let the rest of the world decide what it is you can be. Instead, show everyone in the world what it is you can become. It may be hard and might even seem impossible. But nothing worth doing is ever easy. And that, my friend, is what it means to be human" said Naruto with a smile.

"Well, that and being loving, caring, being a friend, and helping others too, right Naruto?" asked Ino.

"Yeah, that too. So what do you say, Gaara? Stay here and be what they say you are, or return with us and show them what you're capable of?" asked Naruto.

"You talk to much" said Gaara before giving the slightest smile and adds "But fine, I'll give your views a try...for a little while."

Temari and Kankuro both look at Naruto and say silent thank you's to him for reaching Gaara like they never could. Maybe only a Jinchurriki could effect another Jinchurriki like this.

"Hey guys, I think it's go time" said Omoi as he looked at the completed portal.

Omoi then goes to step into the portal, but Kabuto stops him and says "Where are your manners? Hasn't anyone told you about ladies first?"

"What? Are you serious?" shouts Omoi while the girls smile and say together "What a gentleman."

But before anyone could even make a move, a beam of light shoots out of the portal; shooting into the sky. "What the hell was that about?" shouts Karin.

"Something's happening" says Shino as a black, shadow like hole forms in the sky.

And then, an even darker shadowy form takes shape within the hole. "I got a bad feeling about this" said Utakata.

And then, the single eye at the center of the shadow opens up, revealing a pale colored iris with a spiral and several comma marks inside the eye. And then, ten shadowy tails arise behind the shadow beast before it roars; and all the Genin and Yugito are sent slamming into the ground from a sudden increase in the gravity; their bodies feeling like they were being torn apart.

"Damn, its to strong...I can't move" yells Naruto.

"That thing...is it the Zoa-Biju? Impossible, it's suppose to be dead" said Yugito as she and the other Jinchurriki felt their powers reacting to this shadow; their bodies suddenly feeling like a fire that was desperate to lash out.

The gravity around them increases, causing all of them to cry out in pain as they continue to be crushed to death. And then, streams of energy shoot out from the portal, touching and absorbing each one of them before the streams recede back into the portal and the gate closes behind them.

And after a few seconds of disorienting darkness, they all find themselves laying on the ground, back within the tower, the pain having faded, and the vision of their Jonin sensei's and Konan rushing over to them. Some how, they had been saved from the Makai Realm.

"And now the real fun can begin" said the masked man before being sucked into the empty air.

**Next time: loss...Hinata vs Tenten...The battle monk's challenge**


	24. 34 The Wandering Fist

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.34: The Wandering Fist**

"I'm glad to see that all of you have recovered from the horrible ordeal that you all had to suffer two days ago. On behalf on Ame, the court of the Grand Daimyo, and myself, I ask for your forgiveness" said Konan as she bowed solemnly before the Genin.

"Do you have any ideas on how that happened?" asked Baki, standing behind his team.

"That matter is being investigated. After you all have left, a special investigation team will come in and check around the whole arena. Once we learn more, we'll send a message to your respective Kage's on this matter" replied Konan.

"I know this isn't a good time for this question, but what of the results of the test itself?" asked Chojuro.

Konan sighs before saying "Due to this incident, we have been forced to cancel this particular Shadow Test. However, the first two exams did see each team scoring above average and given what happened during the third round, we will consent to any of these Genin being made Chunin if your Kage's wish it as a reward for surviving the Makai Realm; which is more than enough proof of their right for promotion."

A man then appears, garbed in Ame's secret forces uniform who promptly whispers into Konan's ear before leaving the room. "If you'll excuse me, there is a matter I need to attend to. Until we meet again, good luck and Kami protect you on you way home."

With that, Konan turns and exits the room; leaving the five teams to be led to the exit of the tower by an attendant. After saying several goodbye's, the teams each go their separate ways. As they begin to move through the trees, Hayate notices that Ino was lost in thought.

"Ino, is something wrong?" asked Hayate as he came to a stop.

"Huh, what? Oh, it's nothing" said Ino dismissively.

"Come on Ino, tell us" said Naruto as he and Shikamaru came to stand beside her.

"Alright. It's...well, this is gonna sound silly, but I saw something odd right after we were returned to the tower" said Ino.

"Something odd?" said Shikamaru.

"What was it?" asked Hayate.

"Well, my vision was blurry so I can't be certain about this. But I'm sure I saw a white snake slithering along the ground, heading to the door and leaving the room" said Ino.

"A white snake? Is that all?" asked Naruto.

"That is weird. I didn't know snakes in this area were white" said Shikamaru.

"They aren't. In fact, a white snake is extremely rare anywhere. Did you notice anything else about it?" asked Hayate.

Ino thinks for a minute, then says "Actually, yeah. This is gonna sound really weird, but the snake looked at me and for a second, I could have sworn it's eyes looked like the eyes of that Oto Jonin that went missing."

"Are you sure?" asked Hayate in a serious tone as he grabbed Ino's shoulders.

After another second, Ino says "Positive. It was really creepy."

Hayate thinks about it, then says "We're heading back to the tower. Once there, you three wait outside while I go in and speak with Konan."

As the four Konoha nin start to head back, Shikamaru ask "What are you thinking, sensei?"

"We have reason to believe the Oto nin may have been involved in what happened to all of you. This new revelation needs to be passed onto Konan for her investigation" said Hayate.

"Well, he did kill that Iwa genin, impersonated him, then disappeared into the Makai Realm for some reason" said Naruto.

"Exactly, this could have been part of a larger plot; a plot that could threaten all of Shumoa" said Hayate.

They quickly arrived back at the tower and Hayate waste no time in going in while the others wait outside for him. As they wait, Naruto thinks back on the talk he had a few hours earlier with the other Jinchurriki.

**(earlier that morning)**

Naruto, Gaara, Utakata, and Roushi were silently waiting in the small room when the door opened and Yuna and Killer Bee entered the room. Once the door was closed and locked, Yuna returned to being Yugito and looked at the combined assemble of her fellow brethren.

During the transfer back, Yugito had returned to her disguise and she was happy to see that no one blew her cover upon returning. "Thank you all for coming here on such short notice" she said.

"Why did you want to see us for?" asked Utakata.

Killer Bee goes to speak, but Yugito stops him and says "Let me explain. After all, your words may confuse them."

As Bee grumbles beneath his breath about no respect a fool ya fool, Yugito says "I have an offer to make of all of you. We, the Jinchurriki of the Hidden Sound Village, would like to extend an invitation to all of you to come join us."

Roushi, who had already realized the truth behind Yuna and Yugito, said "May I ask why?"

"Look, I can only imagine the kind of life each of you have had to suffer and endure growing up as Jinchurriki in your respective villages. I know it couldn't have been easy for any of you. But in Kumo, you will not receive any such treatment. Both myself and Bee here are shown kindness and are made to feel loved and welcomed. Have any of you ever been given that by your village?" asked Yugito.

"There have been a few people, but the majority of the village have been as you said" said Naruto.

"The same for me" said Utakata.

"I can't deny the truth in that" adds Roushi.

Gaara remains quiet for second, then ask "Is this a mandatory request? Will you attack us if we refuse? Will you kill us? After all, other village having Jinchurriki must be troubling for Kumo's leadership."

"I'm sure the elders would say that, but lord Raikage won't allow it. It would be like ordering the death of his brother; of Killer Bee here. Look, you don't have to accept our offer now. Just think about it. If you ever decide you want a change in your life and wish to take us up on our offer, then we'll be ready and waiting" said Yugito.

"Let's say any of us ever do take you up on this offer. How do we contact you?" asked Roushi.

"Just place a message at a drop point like you would a mission request. In this message, simply say "We who stand apart are ready to come Home". We'll then find you and bring you to Kumo and to a new life" said Yugito.

The four Jinchurriki go quiet as Yugito adds "Well, I made the offer. We better hurry back to our rooms and prepare for the meeting with that Ame rep."

**(flashback ends)**

"Hey Naruto, whatcha thinking about?" asked Ino as she leaned in close to him.

"Hm? Oh, nothing really" said Naruto as he looks up into the sky and watches the clouds pass by.

**(with Hayate)**

Thanks to the attendant, Hayate had been shown through the tower and was now walking down the short hall towards the room Konan was in. But, as he draws close to the room, he can hear voices coming from within the room.

"It would seem that you were right. Sending them into the Makai Realm was not a death sentence" came Konan's voice.

"Did you not believe me? It is of no matter or consequence. The goal has been achieved and we can now focus on the next step" said the other figure.

_'What?' _thought Hayate as he creeps up and presses an ear against the door.

"So, what is the next step?" asked Konan.

The figure doesn't answer right away, but he finally does answer. "We shall let the Jinchurriki be for a time as we need to focus on finding the final three. But, in six months time, we shall begin the hunt and capture all nine of them."

"And what of the hidden villages? I doubt they'll just let us take them" said Konan.

"Not to worry about that. I am currently working on a plan that will make at least four of the villages banish their Jinchurriki, thus making them vulnerable for capture. Only Kumo is an known factor at this time" replied the other person.

"And what of Orochimaru? He could interfere with us" said Konan.

"We shall deal with him if he becomes an issue. But, to be safe, have Sasori and Deidara locate and track his movements. I doubt he'll interfere with us, but one can never be to careful."

_'This is bad. I need to inform lord Hokage of this at once' _thought Hayate as he gets to his feet.

But as he turns to leave, he comes face to face with Konan, who quickly breaks into a stream of papers that wrap and attach to Hayate's body. Hayate, tries to break free, but he finds his movements impaired as the paper controls him and makes him enter the room.

"It seems we have a guest" said the figure.

"What's going on here? What's the meaning of this, Konan?" shouts Hayate to the real Konan while the paper clone strengthens its hold on him.

"Exactly what you heard" said Konan. She then looks at the masked man and ask "What should we do with him?"

"Kill him, then tell his team he was killed by the Oto Jonin while trying to protect you. As for his body? Well, I'm sure Pain could make use of it. After all, he is down a Human Realm, is he not?" said the masked man before he disappeared.

Konan looks at Hayate and says "Sorry about this. But don't worry; this world will soon enter a new golden age of peace. A peace that shall be brought forth by Pain."

And then, Konan's paper clone crushes inward till Hayate's body goes limp and collapses.

**(Temple of Ama – training room)**

"OK Hinata, now that we have gotten some light exercise and a little stretching done to help us make us lithe and limber, we shall begin your hand to hand combat training" said Tenten.

_'Little and light?' _wonders Hinata as that was a lot more than either from her perspective on it.

"Anyways, the purpose of this is simply to see if you can actually land a decent hit on me, unlike our last few training sessions which were simply meant to teach you how to attack, dodge, and defend. Now, I don't want to see you holding back now" said Tenten.

"Right" said Hinata as she took a battle stance.

"Now remember Tenten, Hinata doesn't have as much combat experience as you. So be sure to take it easy on her now" instructed Sakuya.

"I know, I know" said Tenten as she pounded the fist of one hand into an open palm of the other. "I'll go easy on here" she adds deviously.

Both Hinata and Sakuya think _'Uh oh' _at the same time.

"Are you ready, Hinata?" asked Tenten as she took her own battle stance.

"Yes, I am" said Hinata, though a little nervous.

Something in Tenten's eyes change, becoming colder and more focused as she says in a slightly dark voice "Then here I come."

And then, Tenten rushes forward with unbelievable speed. Hinata tries to defend herself, but Tenten's attack gets through her guard and lands hard within her stomach. The blow throws Hinata back, making her grab her stomach in pain as she fights to stay on her feet.

Tenten then appears in mid air beside her and sends a kick that connects with Hinata's back that sends her hitting and rolling hard along the ground. Hinata coughs up a small amount of blood and groans in pain as she tries to pick herself up.

This time, Hinata makes a move at Tenten and attempts to strike her, but Tenten effortlessly counters her attack, then launches another attack into Hinata's gut before flipping her over and sending hitting the ground on her back hard.

"AAAHHH" cries out Hinata as her whole body convulses in pain.

"Get up" said Tenten, showing no concern for Hinata in her voice.

"Tenten, I think you're getting carried away again. Remember what I told you about your inner darkness and keeping control" reminded Sakuya.

Tenten looks at her and says "I told her that I would be strict as hell in order to ensure maximum growth in the quickest time for her. If she's not up to the task, she can always quit."

Sakuya sighs before saying "I would think you, of all people, would understand her situation. After all, she came from a life where stuff like this was an unknown. Just like you did. Or have you forgotten about your past? After all you are the..."

"Sakuya, please don't go bringing up the past. That part of my life is over. You may have been my Sister back when I was just a new student, but I have left all of that behind" said Tenten.

"Very well then. But at least take it easier on her till she becomes better acquainted to this level of combat" said Sakuya.

"Fine" said Tenten as she roles her eyes.

"N...No, don't d...do that, please" said Hinata as she struggled to get back onto her feet.

"Hinata...?" said Sakuya in surprise as the young girl finally stands again on her wobbly legs.

Tenten is also surprised, but then smiles and says "Now that's what I like to see."

Hinata, despite the pain she was in, just grins as she wipes to blood from her lip and says "Like you said; the purpose of this test is to see if I can land a hit on you. Until I do that or I pass out, this training session is still on."

"Hinata, there's no need to push yourself so hard, so soon. You have time, so don't overdo it" said Sakuya.

"I'm not. But if I quit so soon, then I'll never become more than I am" replied Hinata.

"You have moxie, Hinata. Now, lets see if you can put words into actions" said Tenten as she charges again.

As Hinata goes to defend herself again, she suddenly notices something. Tenten was attacking her in the same manner as she had last time. Was it intentional or was it a fluke in her style of battle? Regardless of that, this was something should could exploit.

As Tenten goes to punch her again in the stomach, Hinata brings both her hands down and actually blocks the attack, surprising Tenten and Sakuya before bring a leg in and sweeping Tenten's legs out from under her.

Hinata then thrust her open palm down at Tenten, who roles away before Hinata can make contact. Tenten does a spin on her back in order to flip herself onto her feet. But just as she lands on her feet, Hinata runs up, does a fake out punch to catch Tenten off guard, then flips around and onto her hands before thrusting both her legs upwards, hitting Tenten's chest and sending her flying back.

Tenten lands on her feet and finds her balance just in time to block another arms thrust from Hinata. She then draws Hinata in and says "Not bad" before head butting her and knocking her back onto the ground with a broken nose.

"OK, that's enough for now" said Sakuya as she moves in and begins using her medical skills to heal Hinata's nose.

Tenten's eyes lose their cold look as she ask "Are you OK, Sister?"

Despite the pain, soreness, and the broken nose, Hinata just smiles and says "I'll be fine. So, how did I do?"

"Well, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. But, I know you'll turn out all right. After all, you noticed my pattern of attack quickly enough and took advantage of it. I'll make a Slayer out of you in no time" replied Tenten.

Once Sakuya was done, Hinata gets up and says "What's next?"

"We'll continue this exercise, but I'll take it a little easier on you till your strength, speed, and over all reaction time improve. Then, I'll get serious with you" said Tenten.

"Wait, you mean you weren't serious before?" asked Hinata in disbelief.

Tenten grins as she turns around and says "May-be."

And after a few more minutes, the two girls continued their sparring match to improve Hinata's skill.

**(with Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru)**

The three Genin had spoken little as they had journeyed home from the Jezai region. They had been told by a sorrowful Konan that Hayate had saved her from being killed by the Oto Jonin, being fatally injured in the process. He had died in her arms. She had told them that she would send Hayate's body to Senai's Lord so the Hidden Leaf could then take him and give him the customary burial ceremony.

They weren't sure how they were going to break it to the Hokage; let alone all the other details that had happened during the exam. But they had finally arrived outside the village and they knew that the time for all this procrastinating on their part had to end.

Shikamaru steps forward and makes the necessary hand signs before saying "Gate hidden within the Leaves, I command you to open."

He then presses his hands onto the ground, then awaits for the two trees before them to begin their movement to form the gate. But after a few seconds, they realized that something was wrong. To be more specific, the trees weren't moving closer together. They hadn't even budges an inch.

"Um, what's going on here?" asked Naruto.

"Shikamaru, you did it wrong. Better try again" said Ino with an annoyed sighed.

_'Funny, I'm sure I did it right' _thinks Shikamaru before he tries it again, getting the same response.

"OK, this is getting damn peculiar" said Naruto.

"I know I'm doing this right so what's the deal?" said Shikamaru as he looks around. Was it possible that they had made a mix up and were standing in the wrong spot.

"Oh please; just stand back and let a real women handle this, little boys" said Ino confidentially.

She steps forth and does the same hand signs and speaks the same words, but gets no response from the trees. Ino tries again and again, getting madder with each moment before becoming red faced and stamping her foot angrily on the ground. "Damn it, just what the hell is going on here?"

Shikamaru steps forward past the two trees, then leans down and starts to examine everything. After a few minutes, Shikamaru stands up and heads back to the others saying "There's no question about this now; this is, or was, the location of Konoha."

"Is and was?" asked Naruto.

"You mean the village isn't here no more?" asked Ino.

"Looks like it" said Shikamaru.

"But why? And why weren't we informed?" asked Ino.

"We were" said Naruto, earning his friends attention. "Remember what Hayate-sensei told us while were preparing for the third round? He said that Anko had come by and delivered a message. And that he would fill us in on the way home. It must have been about a sudden move."

"I think you're right. Question is, what now?" said Shikamaru.

"There's only one thing we can do; go to the other four locations the village could currently be hidden at. With any luck, the first one we try will be the one" said Ino.

"Then we better get going while the sun still's out" said Naruto.

Earning a nod in response, the three Genin set off to the nearest of the other possible locations of Konoha.

**(three hours later)**

The three Genin were sitting outside a small ramen shop with not so hot bowls of ramen sitting in their laps. They had been to each of the other possible locations for Konoha to be at and that had found nothing but empty forest. And right now, they were depressed and tired and a little put off.

"Well this is certainty a nice pickle we've found ourselves in, huh?" said Ino with a sigh.

"This is a lot bigger than a pickle, Ino" said Naruto.

"Oh really? Well thank you for pointing out the obvious, captain clueless" shouts Ino.

"Say what?" shouts Naruto back.

"Oh will you two just get a room already" says an exasperated Shikamaru.

"Oh shut up" shouts Naruto and Ino in unison.

Over the next few minutes, they return to being quiet as they try to think of something that could help.

"Here's a thought, how about we pay a visit to a mission request drop box. We can leave a message about what happened to us and to Hayate-sensei and some one can come find us and take us home" suggested Naruto.

"That could work. Hell, that should work" said Ino excitedly.

"I already though of that" said Shikamaru, getting Naruto and Ino to look at him in shock. "As we were walking here, we passed one of the drop spots, so I left a message saying we'd be waiting here till 9pm, then we'd get a room at the local inn should no one come by then."

"When did you right the note?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, I don't remember seeing you do that?" adds Ino.

"Well, you two were busy yakking it up on what we could do and should do" said Shikamaru.

"Well, how long do you think it will take till we get a response?" asked Ino.

"Well, that depends. It could happen within the next hour, or we could be waiting for a while. After all, the rules for a village move state that until the move is complete and the village has finished being set back up again, there will be no accepting of any mission" said Shikamaru.

"And if this move happened as Anko was delivering the message, then we could be waiting as long as a week" said Naruto.

"Pretty much" said Shikamaru.

"Well that just sucks. And here I was hoping to get in a nice hot bath and sleep in my bed" said Ino with a pout.

"The bed's in the inn should be fine and I'm sure the inn has a bath too" said Naruto.

"Oh, it's not the same though" replied Ino.

"That's not the only problem we have to look forward to" says Shikamaru.

"Meaning?" asked Naruto.

"Well, between the three of us, we only have enough money for a one night stay at the inn. So if we don't get someone from the village to come by between now and mid day tomorrow, we'll likely have to take on a few odd jobs to pay for food and lodging's till someone does come for us" said Shikamaru.

"OOOOHHHH NNNNOOOOO" whines Ino, her voice carrying well into the night.

**(the next morning)**

"So Naruto, how's it going back there?" asked the man who owned the ramen shop.

"Just fine...I think..." said Naruto as he tried to figure out if the amount of smoke coming from the cooker was normal or not.

Since the decision to get part time jobs till someone from the village finally came and got them, Naruto had asked the owner of the ramen shop if he needed help. And seeing as his usual helper was on vacation for a few days, he had accepted Naruto's offer.

As Naruto watch the cooker get even more chaotic looking, he wondered if he simply needed to adjust one of the nobs along the side. Just as he was going to reach out and touch one, the owner came into the back room and asked "Is something wrong kid? There's a lot of smoke flowing out from in here."

"Don't worry about it, boss. I have it all under control" said Naruto as he looked back at the owner while still reaching for the nob.

But because he was no longer looking at what he was doing, his hand misses the targeted nob and instead grabs the one next to it that controlled the level of the gas. And Naruto then turns it so that it increases the gas; resulting in a really big KA-BOOM.

Naruto, covered in grime and soot, blinks and coughs before looking around the giant hole that use to be the ramen shop. "Um, what happened?"

The rubble next to him shakes as the owner shoots out and screams "What happened? WHAT HAPPENED? YOU DESTROYED MY SHOP IS WHAT HAPPENED."

"Oh, I did didn't I?" says Naruto as he laughs nervously. "Um...I'm sorry."

A few hours later, Shikamaru was having a needed break from his job; which involved playing games of Shogi with the elderly residents of the village in exchange for money, and he saw Naruto sitting on a bench next to a tree, still looking a little grimy.

"Hey Naruto, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be cooking up some ramen right about now?"

Naruto looks up and says "Hey Shikamaru. Well, I was...till I caused the shop to explode."

"How troublesome. At least your day has been more explosive than mine has been" said Shikamaru.

"Not funny, ya know. So, how is being entertainment for old farts working out for you?" asked Naruto.

"Total drag" said Shikamaru. "Well, let's hope Ino's doing better than us" he adds.

On cue, Ino rounds a nearby corner, shouting both their names. After arriving and taking a second to catch her breath, Ino says "Hey guys, guess what. I just found a way for us to get plenty of money."

"How, Ino?" asked Naruto.

"Here, take a look at this, guys" says Ino as she shows them an ad she had taken from a wall.

Shikamaru looks at it and reads "To any who enjoy a good fight. I am seeking sparring partners for my student in order to test his growth and skills. For those who are able to win, a cash prize of 10,000 ryo will be given as your reward. Signed: the great Battle Monk of Shumoa. Seems fishy to me, Ino."

"Oh come on, how can this sound fishy. Your just scared, aren't you, Shikamaru?" asked Ino.

"I'm saying it's fishy because the guy claims to be a Battle Monk. Since when do battle monks go around with money in their pockets, let alone ten thousand ryo? They normally ask for food and a place to stay in return for services rendered" said Shikamaru.

"Oh, I'm sure he's being honest. After all, have you ever heard of a monk who lies?" asked Ino.

"Actually..." Shikamaru starts to say, but Ino cuts him off before approaching Naruto.

"Since Shikamaru is obviously to scared to try his luck, what about you? Come on, Naruto; this will be your big chance to show us what a big strong man you are. Plus, it could earn you brownie points towards becoming Hokage" said Ino as she did some sort of wave with her body to hypnotize him.

"I really don't know Ino. Truth is, I..." says Naruto, but Ino cuts him off and adds.

She leans in close with big, pleading eyes and says in an annoyingly cutesy voice "Please Naruto, do it for me. I'll owe you a big one for this."

"AAAHHH, alright alright. I'll do it; just please stop with the weirding me out thing" said Naruto.

As Ino jumps up in down in her victory celebration, Shikamaru leans in and says "I serious doubt she did any work beside rehearsing that line of her's."

"I know, and that's the scary thing about it" said Naruto.

From there, the three Genin follow the instructions written at the bottom of the flier and head to the spot were the challenge was to be had. Once they arrive, they find a large, opened area that was perfect for fighting in. But, there was no one present.

"Hm, maybe we're early" said Naruto.

"Or late" adds Shikamaru.

"Hello? Is anybody here? We've come to take the challenge of the Battle Monk" shouts out Ino.

"So, our latest victims have finally arrived" comes a voice from out of nowhere.

A sudden whooshing sound follows as two figures, garbed in the toga/priest like garments of a battle monk come sailing down from the far side of the clearing and land on one foot; the other held against their torso's, as the give the three Genin a thumbs up.

"Thank you for accepting this challenge. My name is Rock Lee" said the boy with the bowl shaped hair. "And I am Might Guy. So, are we ready to rumble?" says the older and even odder monk.

_'Oh god, what have we gotten ourselves into here?'_ think the three Genin at seeing these goof ball's.

**Next time: The fastest fist, the perverts hand, and the all seeing eye...**


	25. 35 Meeting Point

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.35: Meeting Point**

The two Battle Monks looked at the three Genin and awaited a response of some sort. But nothing was said seeing as the genin were still processing their arrival on the scene. Then a thought came to the older monk, making him a little worried.

"Tell me; you three have come here to take up the challenge, correct?" asked Might Guy.

"Um, actually..." said Naruto as he scratched his cheek nervously while looking away.

"Aw, don't tell me we were mistaken after all" said Rock Lee is disbelief.

"Of course not. Naruto here was just taken aback by your sudden appearance and your fearsome physiques. Give him a moment to collect himself and then he'll be ready" said Ino cheerfully.

"Hold on, Ino. I'm starting to have second thoughts about..." Naruto starts to say, but gets a disturbing interruption.

"Did you here that, Guy-sensei. We have finally found a challenger for this exercise" said a teary eyed Lee.

"I know, this is such amazing news" responded Guy.

"Guy-sensei."

"Lee."

"Guy-sensei."

"Lee."

And then, the two monks hugged each other as they cried happily. The three Genin were, to say the least, disturbed by this sudden act of male bonding as it seemed a little too bonding.

Ino leans over and whispers a question to Shikamaru "Hey, do you think they're, ya know, gay?"

Shikamaru follows her action and responds "They're something; I just don't know what."

Ino then pats Naruto hard on the back, saying "Well champ, good luck and don't make us shinobi of Konoha look bad out there now."

"WHAT? You expect me to fight them now? Look at them; they're totally fruity" shouts Naruto as he looks at her.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I'm totally shocked. I'm surprised that you could be such a jerk. These guys obviously love each other, so don't hate them for that" says Ino as she wags her finger disapprovingly at him.

"I'm not a hater. And besides, that's not the reason why I don't want to fight now" replies Naruto.

"Then why don't you?" asked Shikamaru.

"Well..." said Naruto as he tries to think of a reason besides just being freaked out by them.

"Excuse me, but did you say that you were ninja from Konoha?" asked Guy as he looked at them.

"That's right. The three of us are Genin who are returning home from taking the Shadow Test" said Shikamaru.

"Ah, the Shadow Test. That takes me back" said Guy as he smiled from memories of the past.

"Guy-sensei, were you once a ninja too?" asked Lee.

"That's right, Lee. When I was your age, I was a ninja trainee from Konoha who was destined for greatness" replied Guy.

"Funny, I don't recall ever hearing of a former nin named Might Guy in our village" said Ino.

"Me neither. So, how did you go from ninja to wandering battle monk?" asked Naruto.

"Oh, that is a long and boring story. Suffice to say, the village and myself had a difference in opinion on how a shinobi should act. In the end, I left that life behind to find something better and found an aged battle monk who took me in and trained me as his successor" said Guy.

"Wow, what an amazing short story, Guy-sensei" said Lee with starts in his eyes.

"I guess he was a little to jolly and outgoing for being a ninja" said Shikamaru.

"Maybe he had weird fashion sense" adds Ino.

"Maybe it was that god awful haircut" suggested Naruto.

"Now I have a question for you three" said Guy, earning their attention. "Tell me, you three are returning from the Shadow Test, correct? Then why are you wasting time here instead of going home? And where is the Jonin assigned to come with you three?"

"Yeah, about that..." said Shikamaru as he explains the situation to Guy and Lee.

**(a few minutes later)**

"I see; so Hayate was killed and he was the only one who knew where the village had relocated to while you four were gone. I'm sorry to hear that. Hayate, though often sickly, was a good man" said Guy.

"Yeah, and when we heard that there was a reward for winning this battle, we decided to have Naruto fight. That way, we could use the money to pay for lodgings till someone came looking for us" said Ino.

"Guy-sensei, there must be something we can do to help them" said Lee as his eye water.

"And we will, Lee. But there is something you should know" said Guy.

"What is it?" asked Shikamaru.

Guy laughs nervously before saying "Actually, we don't have any money to give you."

"WHAT?" screams Ino.

"Yeah, you see; I only said that to entice fighters to come and fight my Lee here. But I was so confident in Lee winning, that the money issue wasn't really important and I thought it wouldn't come up" laughed Guy nervously.

"You bastard, I kill you" screams Ino as she tries to attack the monk, but is restrained by the boys.

"However, there is something I can do. Give my Lee a good match. Then afterwords, I'll help you locate the village. I may be an ex-ninja, but I still remember a lot from those days. So, that's the least I can do for you" said Guy.

"Are you serious? Even if Naruto loses?" asked Shikamaru.

"On my honor as a Battle Monk, I swear I'll help if I can" said Guy.

Naruto sighs, but then says "OK, then I'll fight."

"You will? Thank you...er...what's your name again?" asked Lee.

Naruto steps forward as Shikamaru and Ino step away to give them some space for the fight. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

Once Naruto and Lee were standing in the center of the opened area and both Ino and Shikamaru had made enough space and were sitting on the ground watching, Guy comes to stand between the two fighters and looks at them both.

"Alright. I shall referee this match. This battle will last till either one of you has either passed out, concedes defeat, or I feel that further fighting will be meaningless. And Naruto, don't worry about me playing favorites here. I am very hard on my student" said Guy.

Getting a nod from both Naruto and Lee, Guy steps back a few steps before raising an arm into the air, then shouts out "Now, you two. Let your youth EXPLODE with a fiery PASSION upon the BATTLEFIELD."

Naruto looks at Guy and sweat drops as he thinks _'You can't be serious?'_

"Naruto Uzumaki, it is not wise to take your eyes off of an opponent" shouts Lee before rushing forward with his first attack.

Naruto turns back just in time to take a fist to his face that sends him flying back. He manages to plant his feet back upon the ground and stop his backwards momentum. As he wipes a trickle of blood from his lip, he sees Lee smile before coming at him again with another attack.

This time, Naruto blocks the attack, then tries to send a punch of his own back at Lee. But Lee easily blocks the attack and with quick movement, gets around Naruto's back and brings the arm he's holding into an uncomfortable position against his back.

"Come on, Naruto. At least try to fight back" says Lee before using a foot to knock Naruto's legs out from under him, then kicks him with his other foot against his back that sends Naruto sailing through the air and slamming into the ground.

Ino growls and shouts out "Come on, Naruto. What's wrong with you? You're making us look bad."

_'Then maybe you should be the one out there fighting Lee then, Ino' _thinks Shikamaru.

As Naruto picks himself up, he looks back at Lee and growls in annoyance. Lee then comes at Naruto again following the same attack pattern as before.

_'Now I get it'_ thinks Naruto as Lee closes in.

As Lee reaches Naruto, he goes to send another punch at Naruto, who goes to block. But Lee then spins around Naruto as he goes to sweep Naruto's legs out from under him again. But this time, Naruto leaps over the sweep, twisting his body around as he does so, and sends a kick the successfully nails Lee against his chin.

"My, that was both unexpected and impressive, Naruto" said Guy as Lee backs away to recover.

"Not really, Until now, I was taking time to observe Lee is action. To see what his strengths and weaknesses are; just like Kakashi-sensei taught me. And from my observations, I can see that Lee is a speed fighter who relies of fast attacks. But from what I can tell, his own defense is limited because of this" said Naruto.

"So you noticed. I'm impressed" said Lee.

"Naruto, did you say that your sensei is Kakashi? As in Kakashi Hatake?" asked Guy.

"Yeah, that's him" replied Naruto.

"My, this is unexpected. Back when I was a Konoha nin, Kakashi was my greatest rival. To have his student facing my student; this must be destiny" said Guy excitedly. He then looks at Lee and says "Lee, there is no need to hold back now. Give this battle your all. I want to see if Naruto truly is my rivals worthy student or not."

"Yes, Guy-sensei" said Lee excitedly as he kneels down and lifts up his pants legs to reveal large weights. He then removes them as well as the weights under his sleeves. He tosses them to the ground; each making a small dent in the earth as they impact.

"Oh boy, Naruto's in trouble now" said Ino as she was getting excited for this match.

_'Just who's side are you on here, anyways?' _wondered Shikamaru.

"Here I come" said Lee before he disappears in a blur of motion.

The next thing Naruto knows, he is being side armed by Lee that sends him off the ground, his body spinning in midair. But before he can hit the ground, Lee double backs and send a kick up to hit against his back, launching him skyward. As Naruto tries to reorient himself, Lee appears behind him and wraps him in a bear hug before angling the both of them down and starts spinning.

"Hidden Lotus" shouts Lee as he plants Naruto hard into the ground.

Lee then jumps away and takes up a ready stance as Naruto struggles to get back onto his feet. As he looks at Lee, he shoots him an angry glare. Before, he didn't really care if he won or not because they would be getting help from Guy either way.

But now, Naruto's pride was screaming at him to not lose this fight. This was no longer about finding a way home, but his pride as both a ninja and a man. And there was no way in hell he was losing this.

"Well Naruto, I'll let you make the next move" said Lee, egging him into attacking recklessly.

_'Damn, I didn't think he'd be this fast or good. To look at how he was acting before, you'd never think this guy could be any serious threat. I guess if I want to win this, I'll have to get daring' _thought Naruto.

Naruto had an idea, but one that he had never even tried to test before. After the success of the Shadow Mold and Shadow Shape jutsu's, he had conceived a new use for his clones. But this was the first time he'd even be trying this idea out, due to the Shadow Test and all.

"Well, if you won't come at me, then I'll come at you" said Lee as he rushes forward.

"Well, now or never" said Naruto as he made a hand sign and says "Shadow Clo..."

Before he could finish his words, his whole body freezes up as his chakra suddenly does a tail dive. The next thing he knows, his arms and legs become heavy like lead weights and his breathing becomes heavy and erratic. And this doesn't go unnoticed by Guy.

Lee comes in and punches Naruto hard, sending him back hard a few feet, but Lee doesn't follow up as he also sees that something was off with Naruto now. Even Shikamaru and Ino had gotten up and were running over to him.

"Naruto, what happened?" shouts Ino as they all gather around him.

"I...don't know. One minute...everything was...fine. And then...my chakra faded out...and my body become heavy...and tired" rasped out Naruto.

"Give him some room" said Guy as he kneels down beside Naruto and uses a special contact sense he had learned during his Monk training to scan Naruto's body.

For a second, he feels that something was indeed off with Naruto's whole body. But then, everything returns to normal like snapping ones fingers and Naruto's complexion returns to normal.

"Naruto, how are you feeling?" asked Shikamaru.

"Better now, but what was that?" asked Naruto.

"I'm not sure" said Guy as he considers several possibilities. "Naruto, do you have any special...powers? Like a kekkei genkai or some other such gift?"

Ino and Shikamaru tense up while Naruto says "Yeah, I have a special power...of a sort."

"What is this power, Naruto?" asked Lee.

"That isn't important, Lee" said Guy, looking at Lee. He then looks at Naruto and says "I'm not sure if this special power of yours is the cause or not. But for the time being, it might be better if you don't make use of it."

Naruto closes his eyes and thinks _'Maybe that incident in the Makai Realm had more of a negative effect on me than I thought.'_

"Either way, this fight is over. And as thanks for fighting my Lee, I'll help you find your way back to the village. So tell me, what have you tried exactly?" asked Guy.

**(with Hinata)**

"Come in" said Chiyo as she sat up in her bed.

She smiles as Hinata steps in and makes her way over to her. "You wanted to see me, lady Chiyo?"

"Indeed I did, dear. Tell me, how is your training under Tenten coming along?" asked Chiyo.

"Tenten is really strong and tough and she doesn't take it easy on me, even though I'm still new at this" said Hinata.

"I would expect nothing less from her. Ever since she was brought to us, Tenten has always pushed herself more than any other girl, Being hard on herself and trying to excel like no other ever has" said Chiyo.

"I wonder why she's so driven to be strong" said Hinata, more to herself than to Chiyo.

"She has her reasons; that much I can assure you. But enough about that. Let's talk about the reason why I called you up here" said Chiyo as she reveals a book from beneath the covers of her bed.

After a moment to flip through the pages, Chiyo finds the page she was looking for. "Hinata, are you ready to begin your Byakugan training?"

Hinata nods enthusiastically and then says "Yes ma'am, I am."

"That's good to here. But, before we begin. Keep in mind that this will take time for you to fully master. So don't feel frustrated if things go slowly here" said Chiyo.

"Understood" was Hinata's reply.

"OK then, what first..." said Chiyo as she read down the page detailing this information. "Hinata, the first thing I want yo to do is make the hand sign here that I'm making now." Chiyo then presses both hands together as if she was praying, but has her index and middle fingers sticking out and up.

Hinata follows her example and makes the same hand sign before asking "Like this?"

"Very good, dear. Now, this sign will act as the activator for your Byakugan until you get to the point in the training where you can activate it at will. Now, while keeping that hand sign, I want you to close your eyes and clear your mind of all thoughts" instructed Chiyo.

Hinata takes a deep breath before closing her eyes. The quieting her mind part was rather easy as it was something she had been trained to do back when she had been a Hyuga. Seeing Hinata doing things perfectly so far made Chiyo smile proudly.

"Now, since I know you've been instructed in basic chakra control already, I want you to channel chakra into your eyes. You need to feel that your vision is expanding outwards, seeing everything in and around you. And when you think you got it, open your eyes and say simultaneously "Byakugan."

For a few seconds, Hinata does nothing as she focuses on her chakra flow into her eyes. And then, her eyes shoot open as she says "Byakugan."

And nothing happens. "That was a good first try. And to be honest, I didn't expect you to get it on the first try. In fact, I doubt you'll get it at all during this first day of training. All this is just meant to get you started learning the basic's of this power's awakening."

"Can I try again, lady Chiyo?" asked Hinata.

"Of course you can. But this time, just work on the mental aspect of this and don't worry about trying to activate it. After all, success comes from the mind above all else" said Chiyo.

Nodding, Hinata closes her eyes and just thinks about being able to see despite her eyes being closed; about being able to see everything around her at once with out the need for turning her head to look. And then, with out even realizing it, she again makes the hand sign.

And, for a brief second, veins emerge from the skin along the sides of her eyes, making Chiyo's eyes go wide in surprise. And then, Hinata cries out as she falls forward, being caught by Chiyo who then holds Hinata against her while rubbing her back lovingly.

"Hinata dear, are you alright?" asked Chiyo.

"Yeah, but that was weird. For a second, I could actually see the whole world around me. And then, my vision shot outwards and I could see everyone within the temple and it made my head hurt bad" said Hinata.

"I see, then let's take a break for now" said Chiyo as she reaches over and grabs a glass of water and hands it to Hinata.

"We'll stop for now so you can rest. But you did very good, much better than I expected. Next time, we'll work on helping you be able to activate it when you need to, then train your mind to be able to process all that information at once" said Chiyo.

"Yes, lady Chiyo. I want to do better with this gift" replied Hinata before drinking from the glass.

**(with the Konoha genin)**

Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru found themselves once again sitting on a bench and feeling depressed. Despite the promise that Guy had made them about helping them find the village, it turned out he was going to be no help at all.

**(flashback)**

"Alright then, helping you find your way back home" said Guy as he thought about this for a second.

The genin and Lee waited with baited breath until Guy had one of those light bulb's lighting up over their head looks on his face. He then says "The solution is simple. We we simply check all of the possible hiding spots the village would currently have as a back up for emergency relocation's."

"Um, we already thought of that. They were all barren of hidden villages" said Naruto.

"Ah, I see" said Guy with a surprised look on his face. But he recovers and says "Well then. I guess we can...hmm...oh wait, I know. We shall drop a message to the village at one of the request drop points and..."

"Been there and did that to? Remember, we came to challenge you because we thought we could get money for winning that we could use to pay for food and lodging's till they can respond. Seeing as the setting up of the new location is still happening, it will be a few days before missions are accepted again" said Shikamaru.

Guy sweat dropped then laughed nervously while scratching his head. "Ah yes, I remember now. Well, I guess we could...or maybe that...or that...or...I'm sorry, but I don't have any ideas left" said Guy sheepishly, making everyone face plant.

"You mean after all that crap, you can't help us? Kami damn it, you're useless" shout a furious Ino.

Guy slumps his head in saddened defeat before breaking into a serious cry and saying "You are right, I am useless. Oh Lee, I'm sorry you had to be stuck with a good for nothing like me."

Lee tears up as he says "You're wrong, Guy-sensei. You are a great teacher and you do your best. And I would never want another teacher besides you."

Guy sniffles before saying "You really mean that, Lee?" Getting a nod from Lee, Guy begins crying even more before saying "Lee, I am truly blessed to have such an amazing student as you."

"Guy-sensei."

"Lee."

"Guy-sensei."

"Lee."

And then to two hug again as they both cry tears of joy. Meanwhile, the three Konoha genin quickly start to back away as the whole display before them was really scaring them. But before they could get very far, Guy and Lee run over and force them into a group hug, making things far weirder than before.

And that was all Ino can stand as she somehow throws them all off of her and screams "THAT'S ENOUGH. CAN'T YOU TWO BE SERIOUS HERE FOR A SECOND?"

"You're right, our apologizes" said Guy as he and Lee bow before them.

"Fine. Well, we better get going. We need to think of something else to deal with our current situation" said Ino as she turns and grabs Naruto and Shikamaru and drags them along with her.

"Wait, before you three leave, there are two things we can do for you" said Guy.

"What is it?" asked Shikamaru as Ino came to a stop and they all faced the two monks.

"First, both Lee and myself owe you three a great debt. To repay that debt, we shall vow that if ever you three are in need of help. We shall be there to offer what help we can" said Guy.

"I agree completely, Guy-sensei" said Lee after nodding.

_'Yeah, I'm sure you two will be really helpful to us' _thought Ino before asking "And the other thing?"

Guy reaches into his monk garb and pulls out a scroll, then presents it to Naruto. Confused, Naruto ask "What's this?"

"Naruto, I have a feeling you and Lee will cross paths again and I'm sure you both will want a rematch. To that end, this scroll has sealed with it special training weights like the ones the Lee wears. If you wish to become stronger, then you should start wearing them as well" instructed Guy.

Then Lee adds "These weights will make you heavier, obviously. As you continue your regular training while wearing them, your body will gradually adjust and get use to the weights till you no longer notice them. Then, when ever you take the weights off, you'll find yourself faster than you normally would be."

"And the next time you and Lee fight, you may be able to keep up with his speed" finishes Guy.

Naruto takes the scroll from Guy and says "Thank you, I'll make good use of them."

Guy nods, then looks at Lee and says "Alright Lee, lets head for Reva Town. And to make things interesting, we shall have a race and can only walk with our hands, not our feet."

"Understood, Guy-sensei" says an enthusiastic Lee before performing a hand stand.

"Oh, Naruto? The next time you see Kakashi. Tell him that Might Guy says hello and hope that one day, we can continue our famous rivalry with a new sparring session between the two of us" asked Guy.

"Sure, I'll be sure to tell him" said a not so certain Naruto.

And with that Guy and Lee begin their odd race to Reva

**(flashback end)**

"Well guys, any ideas on what else we can do to waste time today?" asked Ino.

"Well, there's listening to you whine" suggested Shikamaru.

Before Ino could reply, Naruto interrupts and says "Come on guys, now isn't the time for this. Besides, we're ninja. We've been trained to live off the land. We can hunt for our food and sleep outside if need be. Truth is the weather is nice this time of year."

"Good point, Naruto" said Shikamaru.

"OK, but what about hot baths?" asked Ino.

"Just suck it up and use a cold stream. It may not be hot, but think of it as training" said Naruto.

Ino grumbles something about "showing Naruto some training", but doesn't really act on it. She does finally say "Fine."

"OK guys, lets go find some place to camp out at. Then we'll look for food and water" said Shikamaru.

The three Genin get up and begin top walk down the street towards the villages main exit. They decide to make a quick stop by the inn to tell the owner that if anyone came looking for them, they'd be just outside the village somewhere as well as ask if he knew of in stream close by.

As they walked down the street, they passed by a small food stand and a figure sitting on a stool caught sight of Ino and smiled lecherously to himself. As soon as they had passed by him, he quickly reached out with his left hand and placed it on her her butt before giving it a strong rub.

Ino's whole body freezes up and her face goes blood red as the man says "Say there, you have a great butt on you. Wanna help me with my research?"

Ino's response is to scream at the top of her lungs and scary Naruto and Shikamaru out of their minds as they spin around. Ino quickly breaks away from the man touch and jumps behind her friends for protection. "Ino, what's wrong?" asked Shikamaru.

"That man there just violated me. He..._sob_...he touched my butt in a perverted way" cries Ino.

"Hey, what the hell's up with you, ya damn pervert?" shouts Naruto.

"Oh please" said the man as he gets up from the stool and stands before them. He then spins his long, spiky white hair around himself while saying "I am the legendary and honorable Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku." He then starts to hop on one leg while holding his right arm out before himself.

"My name is...Jiraiya" he finishes with pride in his voice.

"A Sage?" said Shikamaru.

"HONORABLE?" shouts an angry Ino.

"Like hell you are. You're nothing but a pervert" shouts Naruto, earning an eager nod from Ino.

Jiraiya snorts at the comment before sticking his right index finger out and wagging it. "Kid, know this. I am not a pervert." He then leans in close, making the three Genin lean back nervously as he says with absolute pride.

"I'm a SUPER pervert!"

"What's your point? A perverts a pervert, ya...pervy sage" shouts Naruto.

"That's right" adds Ino.

"Obviously, you kids are still to young to fully understand anything" said Jiraiya, sounded bored.

Ino huffs in anger before saying "Naruto, kick this guys butt for me. Avenge me and my rump."

"Sure thing, Ino. After all, I hate perverts" says Naruto as he cracks his fist.

But then, Shikamaru steps in and stops him saying "Just let it go, you two. Remember, we have more important things to be worrying about now besides this."

"But he...fine. You're lucky, old man" said Ino.

Naruto also nods and the three Genin turn and begin to walk away. "Wait a second. Is something wrong?" asked Jiraiya.

"None of your business" says Ino, looking back at him.

"Oh come one, maybe I can help. Thank of it as my way of apologizing for before" said Jiraiya.

Naruto looks at the others and says "Might as well. If nothing else, he can't be any worse than those two monks." Getting a nod from the others, Naruto walks up to Jiraiya and says "Well, here's the thing of it..."

After about five minutes, Naruto finished telling the Toad Sage everything; with Ino and Shikamaru jumping in ever so often to add their two cents about the situation.

"And now you know what's going on with us. So, unless you have some magical idea on how we can find Konoha, we'll be on our way" said Naruto.

Jiraiya smiles and says "Actually, I do have one."

"Seriously?" asked Ino.

"Yeah. Once upon a time, I was a ninja of Konoha; back during the days of the third ninja war. And I have an idea of how to make contact with Konoha. Now, observe..." said Jiraiya before making several hand signs, then pressing his hand against the ground.

"Summoning jutsu" shouts Jiraiya as a seal appears on the ground, followed by a blast of smoke.

And from the smoke emerges a yellow colored toad the size of a teddy bear; wearing goggles on his forehead. The toad looks up and says "You called, master Jiraiya?"

"Yes, Kyosuke. I need you to go to see Sarutobi-sensei and deliver a message for me. Do you think you can do it? And just to let you know, I don't know where the village is right now" asked Jiraiya.

"Not a problem, sir. Just tell me the message, then I'll return to Myoboku where we can locate Konoha and deliver the message. Summon me again in twenty minutes and I should have an update" said Kyosuke.

"Right. Hey brats, go take a seat over in that restaurant. I'll join you in a few minutes and we can eat something while we wait; my treat" said Jiraiya.

"OK, but no funny business now, or you'll regret it" said Shikamaru as they left and headed to the restaurant.

But just as Naruto starts to go in, he runs into a person who was starting to exit at the same time. "Oh, sorry about that" said Naruto.

"Don't worry about it" said the figure as he moves around Naruto and begins to walk away.

"Wow, he's kinda hot" said Ino as she watches the guy walk off.

"I guess you would think so, seeing as you're girl and all" said Shikamaru.

"Forget him, guys. Come on, I'm starving and besides, pervy sage said he was buying anyways, so lets pig out" said Naruto.

"Hey, I have a question for you" came the guy from before.

"Maybe he wants to ask me my name" said Ino with hearts in her eyes.

_'What are you on?' _wonders Shikamaru before saying "What is it?"

"I'm looking for a pair of Battle Monks that have been seen around here. Have you seen or heard anything about them?" asked the guy.

"Actually, yeah. We ran into them a few hours ago. When we parted way, they said that they were heading for Reva" said Shikamaru.

"Reva, huh? Thanks for the inlet" said the guy. He then notices that Naruto is looking at him and has been looking at him the whole time and he ask "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" said Naruto as he snaps back to normal. "Oh, sorry. Its just that...well, you look familiar; like I've seen you somewhere before. Have we met, by any chance?"

"I don't think so. I'm sure I'd remember meeting you if I had" said the guy.

"Well, my name is Naruto. And these are my friends, Ino and Shikamaru. We're ninja from Konoha."

The boy nods before saying "My names Sasuke. See you three around." Sasuke then turns and leaves.

After that, the three genin entered into the restaurant and made their orders. Jiraiya joined them a few minutes later and they all ate together. After about twenty minutes, Jiraiya paid for their shared meals and they went out side where he summoned Kyosuke again. And, as they hoped, Kyosuke had just returned himself from Konoha, having gotten the new location of the village as well as a request for Jiraiya to come to as the Hokage wanted to speak with him about something important.

Following Kyosuke's directions, the four travelers spent most of the rest of the day walking till they were standing at the shore overlooking a massive lake. "We're here" said Jiraiya.

"What? The lake? Is the village hidden beneath it or something?" asked Naruto.

"Not exactly" said Jiraiya as he makes several hand signs before bending down and placing his hands upon the water. "Arise from the depths of the water; show us the path of the hidden Senju."

Immediately, the water ripples as a path of green suddenly appears before them leading out into the lake. "Let's move; this path won't last long" instructed Jiraiya.

Nodding, the three Genin follow Jiraiya quickly across the path. As they move, they begin to notice something appearing at the center of the lake; an island covered in large trees that reached into the sky. Soon, they reached the end of the path and found themselves standing on the hidden forested island.

"Wow, these trees are huge" said Ino; in awe of both their size and and numbers.

"True, but what about the village? I can't see it anywhere" said Shikamaru.

"Just look up" said Jiraiya who was already doing so and smiling. The genin do so, then freeze at what they see. They could now see wooden pathways connecting the upper areas of the giant trees. "The village...it's hidden among the trees" said an astonished Naruto.

"Actually, the trees are the village. Welcome to the Hidden Senju Village; Senhana" said Jiraiya.

**next time: A request...the successor...first date**

**Special Overdrive notice:**

Well actually, not quite. You see, I've decided to buckle down and not move forward with the storyline till AFTER I have written and released the original chapters one through ten of this story. So, the next ten chapters will be the original beginning of this series.

But, because I am a nice guy and all, here's a few quick sneak peek hints of whats coming up in the overall story of the Overdrive.

First and most important to you all: **Naruto and Hinata will be going on a date in chpt.36, so you have something good to look forward to when I'm done with the first ten chapters.**

Then, Naruto and Jiraiya will be taking a little trip that will take them from the safety of Shumoa into the much larger and more mysterious land of Antana. To be more specific, to the Kingdom of Chin-Zi to find a very special person.

Kiba, Akamaru, Sakura, and Choji will all be making their Overdrive debut in this story arc; along with a few other surprises. Also, the remaining Jinchurriki will also be seen in one form or another.

While Naruto is off in another land, Hinata will be busy as well as she'll be going on her first official mission as a Slayer of Ama.

Beyond that? Well, here's a sneak peek of sorts over future arcs for your anticipation building enjoyment...

Orochimaru will finally begin his attack that can not be avoided and a big secret that (as far as I know) has never been done in fanfics regarding Orochimaru will be revealed.

In the aftermath of this battle, something will happen that will change Naruto's destiny forever. This event will lead to the discovery of what the message left with Hinata is.

Naruto will finally meet Mada and Fu.

Hanabi is kidnapped by a "man with the appearance of a demon".

A Jinchurriki's rage will lead to an attack on Ame.

And...Sasuke will challenge Naruto to see who is the better of the two trained by Kakashi.

But all of that doesn't compare to what will happen in the final chapter of the first arc...


	26. 1 Let Your Overdrive 1

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt. 1: Let Your Overdrive 1**

**Feel Inside**

(theme song of Naruto Overdrive)

Fields of the unknown

I'm suddenely out of this world

And even though I know

That I can't see it all

Feel Inside,

there's something more

I dream about the hope I had before

Sometimes I wonder why you cry

Sometimes I dream that someday, you'll be mine

Even in this moment, I want to hold your hand

And drift away from the clouds of everyday.

Iruka looked over the seven students before him with a serious look in his eyes. Today was the big day for these young hopefuls as today was the day they would be tested to see if they had learned all that was necessary to go from being apprentices to being actual Genin on their village; Konoha.

"Alright, now I know I needn't have to say this, but I will anyways just so we are clear on things. This is the moment, your moment to show what it is you can do. You have been trained well and now the rest is all up to you" proclaimed Iruka.

"And don't forget, there will be no second chances with this test either" added Mizuki as he walked up.

The seven apprentice's nodded their understanding of this fact. If they failed today, then they failed period was what they were being told. Knowing this made them all feel nervous, but they pushed that nervousness down will their willpower just like they had been trained to do with all anti-focus feelings.

"OK, the first test we'll be giving you is in stealth. How good are you all at hiding in plane sight?" said Iruka before he and Mizuki turned around; taking their eyes off the seven.

"Now, begin" shouts Mizuki, which was quickly followed by the sound of movement, followed by silence.

After a a few moments, the two teachers turned around and scanned the area. They knew the kids were still here, as they had been told before hand that leaving the grounds was an automatic fail. They began to look around, carefully taking in every detail and observing every possible spot that could be in use.

"They're doing better than I thought" said Iruka quietly.

"Well, almost all of them" said Mizuki as he pointed to his left.

Iruka looked in that direction, then sighed as he saw a slight hint of blonde mixed in with a green bush. He looked at Mizuki and gave him a look that said "I'll deal with this" and walked over and stood before the bush for a second; acting like he was just looking over the whole spot around the bush.

And then, his hands shot out and into the bush, grabbing the person before they could even react. "Naruto, how many times do I have to...tell...you?"

Iruka stops cold and his eyes go wide as instead of Naruto himself he was holding, he was holding a rather believable imitation which had an explosive tag on its face. A tag that immediately lit up and leading Iruka to think_ 'Oh hell...'_

But, instead of exploding like he expected it to, the tag just burnt up and left a goofy version of Naruto's face that was sticking its tongue out at him.

Iruka growled as he tossed it to the side, thinking 'Naruto, I don't know if I'm impressed at your cleverness here or pissed that your treating such an important test as this as another chance to pull a prank.'

After another four minutes, Iruka and Mizuki walked to the center of the field and Mizuki said "Alright, you have all done well here. You may come out of hiding now."

They stood there and watched the seven come out of their various hiding spots. Shikamaru Nara emerged from the shadow on the largest tree on the field. Ino Yaminaka released her transformation in which she had taken on the form of a flower. Another had become a bird. One had blended in with the bark of a tree. One had blended in with the building wall. And one rose out of the ground.

_'OK, so what about you, Naruto?'_ thought Iruka as he looked around for their missing student.

After a second, he saw a small fox emerge from its hiding spot within a bush and then, it shifted and grew back into Naruto who was grinning like a fox at seeing Iruka's reaction to his prank from before. Iruka walks forward and conks him on the head and says "Word of warning. Another prank during this test and we won't hesitate to fail you. Understand?"

Naruto sighs and says "Yeah, I hear you." He then adds mentally _'Boy, some people can't take a joke. __Yeesh.'_

Having a feeling that Naruto was thinking something like that, Iruka leans in and adds quietly "Don't forget, failing this test mean that you'll become homeless. You WILL be kicked out of the village by order of the elders."

Naruto nodded his understanding of this. After all, it was a rule that those, like himself, who hadn't been born in the village and didn't have have any relatives living here either had to become ninja in order to stay. If they couldn't become ninja, then they would be kicked out in their 12th year of life.

Seeing Naruto finally getting the seriousness of this, Iruka walks back over to Mizuki and says "OK, we'll now begin the second test."

Mizuki steps forward and says "As we observed during the first test, some of you have master the art of transformation, which is what this test is mainly about. Having said that, we'll ask each of you to transform into a specific animal, person, or object and test you on accuracy and the speed of the change.

One by one, each of the seven step forward as their name was called and each was given a different form to take on for their test and much like the first test, everyone did very well.

Once they were done, Iruka steps forward and says "Very good, we will now move onto the final test we check for here at the academy. Each one of you must be capable of creating three clones of yourself for use while on missions."

Once again, each student came forward and showed what they could do and soon, it was Naruto's turn. As the blonde haired apprentice made his hand sign, no one noticed Mizuki brings his hands behind his back and makes a hand sign away from the sight of the others gathered.

As Naruto starts to make his clones, a sudden cold feeling rises up from the pit of his stomach. For him, it was as if his chakra had turned to ice. So, instead of creating three clones, he only manifest a single clone that is distorted and off in its appearance and Naruto himself nearly falls to the ground when his knees buckle a little.

'Wha...what's happening to me...?' wonders Naruto as he looks at his clone in disbelief.

Iruka shakes his head before saying "All of you, head inside and wait for us to make our decision. Oh, Naruto, will you wait here a moment."

As the others walk into the building, Naruto notices Ino and Shikamaru give him a quick look before disappearing inside. As he looks back at Iruka, he braces himself for whats coming.

"Naruto, I'm sorry but...I can't pass you" said Iruka sadly.

"Iruka, maybe we can make an exception in this case. He did do very well with the other test after all. So maybe..." Mizuki throws in, causing Naruto to look at them both with a little hope.

"I want to, you know that. But the elders were clear on this. They all have to pass the three test. Failing one is as good as failing them all. As much as it pains me to say it, we honestly just can't..." Iruka says.

"It's alright, Iruka-sensei. I get the hint. I'll go pack my things" said Naruto, his voice half sad, half angry before turning and walking off.

"Poor kid" said Mizuki.

"I know. Maybe...lord Hokage can think of something. I'll ask him when I'm giving him the results of the test" said Iruka.

"We can only hope. I'll handle things here until you get back" said Mizuki.

Iruka nods, then turns and takes off. As he watches Iruka walk away, Mizuki mentally adds. _'Sorry, old friend. I know you've come to see that abomination as a little brother of sorts. But when I'm done with him, he'll get what he deserves and I...heh. Well, I'll finally be getting all that I deserve to.'_

Later that afternoon, Iruka arrived outside Naruto's small hut that acted as the boy's home, or at least it did until today. He had talked with the Hokage, but there was nothing he could do seeing as rules were rules and as leader of the village, he was duty bound to keep to them.

Iruka reached up and knocked on the door. He didn't hear anything so he knocked again, getting nothing in response again. He sighed as he reached up and tried to handle and found the door unlocked; not that there was a lock on it to begin with seeing as this was originally a storage shed that had fallen out of use before being handed over to Naruto as his home.

"Naruto, are you here?" asked Iruka as he stepped into the small single roomed building.

His eyes feel onto Naruto quickly enough as he laid back on his bed, a small pack laying on the floor, and Naruto holding the old star shaped locket that had once been his mothers, or so he had been told, in the air.

"Naruto...I'm sorry, but the law stands. And I'm...here to escort you out of the village" said Iruka, getting no response from Naruto.

"Naruto, please say something" asked Iruka.

"What do you want me to say? What is there that can I say, sensei?" asked Naruto as he continued to look up at the locket.

"I...I don't know. I just..." Iruka starts to say, but stops in hesitation.

"Where do you think I should go?" asked Naruto as he finally brought his extended hand down, sat up, and looked over at Iruka.

"That's right, you've spent your whole life here in the village. You've never been outside the protective barrier before either" said Iruka to himself, feeling even worse for Naruto than he had before.

Naruto looks down at the locket and says "My mom and dad aren't from this village originally. Maybe if I knew where they had come from, that might at least give me an idea about where I could go. Maybe even see if I actually have living relatives in some far off land or something."

Iruka wonders if the Hokage could help, but figures if he knew anything, he would have said something beforehand. "Naruto, come with me for a minute."

"Huh, what's up?" asked Naruto.

"Before I take you out of the village, I want to treat you to one last meal here. You feel like some Ichiraku's?"

Naruto smiles and says "Sure, one last feast ala ramen sounds good."

The two exit Naruto's place and walk into the village, neither noticing the figure that took a moment to enter into Naruto's place and emerge again and few moments later.

Over the next hour, Naruto and Iruka ate and talked about the things they had been through since meeting a few years back. Iruka also pulled out a map of Shumoa and marked several possible locations Naruto could go to to start over with a new life.

But finally, it was time for Naruto to leave. After saying goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame, two of the very few people who actually made Naruto feel like he actually belonged here, they made their way back to Naruto's place and picked up his pack and made sure he had everything.

After this was done, Iruka used a sleep jutsu on Naruto and took him beyond the boundary's of the village's barrier. Once he had moved about a mile away, he placed Naruto on the ground and released the jutsu.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye" said Iruka.

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you, sensei. You taught me a lot of things and I'm sure it'll be helpful in what ever future event my life comes into" said Naruto.

"I'll miss you to. Here, lord Hokage asked me to give you this money. It's not much, but there's enough there for you to get by on for a while. Just...be careful out there" said Iruka.

"Thanks and I will. Oh, could you say goodbye to Mizuki-sensei, Ino, and Shikamaru for me?" asked Naruto.

"Of course" said Iruka before extending his hand out. Naruto takes it and they shake for a moment. "Good luck, Naruto."

Naruto nods before turning and walking away. But after a few seconds, he stops and looks back at Iruka and says "Sensei, during the clone test, something odd happened."

"What do you mean, Naruto?" asked Iruka.

"Well, my chakra suddenly felt muddle, distorted, and ice cold. And it made me feel sick too. Is that a normal thing that happens from time to time?" asked Naruto.

Iruka shakes his head and says "No, it isn't. It actually sounds kind of odd to me. Did you eat any rotten food? Did you drink expired milk again?"

"No and no. I did have this weird power drink from Mizuki before the test. He said it was for good luck and calming the nerves. Guess it didn't work out, huh?" joked Naruto.

Iruka was about to say something when Naruto then says "Well, I guess I better get going. See ya around, Iruka-sensei." And before Iruka could speak up, Naruto turned and walks away.

_'Naruto...'_ thinks Iruka. Was there a possibility Naruto had been drugged? But Mizuki wouldn't do that. He liked Naruto as well. Could someone have spiked the drink without Mizuki noticing? It was no secret that many in the village wanted Naruto gone, so it wasn't impossible.

Though a part of him wanted to go after Naruto and take him back to have this checked out, he knew it was forbidden to bring him back without any proof of his thoughts. So instead, he turned and raced back to the village to speak with lord Hokage. If it turned out Naruto had been sabotaged, then a tracker could find him easily and quickly enough.

**(in the village)**

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by a shelf filled with scrolls as he looked them all over. He then reaches up and pulls out one and looks it over. Why hadn't he have Iruka give this one to Naruto. Everything contained inside had been in his father's possession and was, by right, his birthright.

Just then, he hears a knock on the door and he quickly slides the scroll back into its slot. "Enter" he then shouts.

To his surprise, a ninja and a man with a limp entered the room. Sarutobi cocked an eyebrow and asked "What's happened?"

The ninja looks up and says "It was Naruto, sir. He attacked this man before he left."

"What? Explain the meaning of this, at once?" shouts the Hokage.

The man, who was a guard for the village's central vault, said "He came out of nowhere and attacked me. I was knocked unconscious and when I awoke, I found the vault key missing."

"I'll explain sir. It appears Naruto snuck up on him, knocked him out, took the key on his person, and entered the villages special storage vault" said the ninja.

"Has anything been confirmed as stolen yet?" asked Sarutobi.

"Yes sir. One of the advanced level jutsu scrolls is unaccounted for. But we have yet to confirm which it is" said the ninja.

_'Something's wrong with this picture. How could Naruto have actually done this? Only a trained shinobi of our village would even know how to use that key correctly. And besides, Iruka should have been with him. Did Iruka...no, he wouldn't do that'_ thinks Sarutobi.

"What is this we're hearing?" asked Homura as the two advisers entered the room.

"It's believed Naruto broke into and stole a advanced level scroll from our vault. But I don't see..." Sarutobi starts to say.

"That little monster. This is the thanks we get for sheltering him for twelve years?" says Koharu in spite.

"It's obvious what needs to be done. Send a team out to find him, retrieve the scroll, and kill him" said Homura.

"Now wait just a min..." Sarutobi starts to say, but is interrupted.

"What's wrong? The boy stole a scroll from us and even attacked a guard. Such an act usually is punishable by death" explained Koharu.

"Normally, yes. But we don't know the full story yet" said Sarutobi.

"So then, what do you propose we do?" asked Homura.

Sarutobi sighed and wished they were like they were when they were all younger and more agreeable instead of the control freaks they had become. "I'll order a team to set out and find him and bring him back. He will only be punished IF it can be proven that he did indeed steal the scroll from us and I will decide his punishment if it is true. Any objections?"

Neither Homura or Koharu said anything and Sarutobi order the shinobi to take the guard to the medical building before ordering another guard to have the shinobi gather here at once.

**(Naruto)**

After walking for about an hour in no specific direction or any specific heading, Naruto came to a stop and sat down under a tree to rest. As he got comfortable, he looked around and figured that this would be as good a spot as any to camp out at. Tomorrow, he would decide where he would likely be heading.

The growl of his stomach made him realize that he was hungry. But seeing as he had know idea just how long he would be out on the road, he had to ration what little food he actually had on him. So with that thought in mind, Naruto pulled off his pack and dug in to grab some wrapped bread to take a bite or two out of, then put the rest back.

_'Hey, what's this?'_ wondered Naruto as he found something inside the pack that shouldn't be there.

He wrapped his fingers around and pulled it out to look at under the pale moon light. It was a scroll of some sort, one he had never seen before. "How the heck did this get in here? Wait, did Iruka-sensei sneak this in without my knowing it?"

Though unsure of the truth, Naruto opened the scroll and his eyes went wide at seeing several different and rather advanced looking jutsu written inside. "All right, this is awesome. Iruka-sensei gave me a going away gift after all. Maybe I can use the jutsu in here to help find a new living on."

Naruto quickly placed the scroll down on the ground and began to look over each of the jutsu contained inside; wondering which one he should try out first.

**(Konoha)**

The gathered shinobi looked at the Hokage and awaited his orders and were curious as to why they had all been summoned now.

"Everyone, a little more than an hour ago, the scroll vault was broken into and one of our A-rank containing scrolls was stolen. And as much as it pains me to say this, the prime suspect is Naruto Uzumaki, who was taken from the village around the time of the incident due to failing the Genin test and the village rule about outsiders" stated Sarutobi.

Muttering and talking could be heard among the gathered shinobi over this unexpected revelation. Sarutobi cleared his throat to get their attention back onto him again so he could continue.

"The reason I have called for you all should be obvious now. I want all of you to go out and find Naruto Uzumaki and determine if he has the scroll on him. If he does, then he is to be brought back to...face punishment for the theft" said Sarutobi, hesitating at speaking of the last part.

He then gave them the signal to move out and in a flash of movement, they were all gone. And as Mizuki himself exited the village, he smiled to himself over how things were progressing.

_'Perfect, just perfect. I get to kill two birds with one stone. I framed Naruto and he will be killed for this theft and I'll also be able to deliver this important information to my contact to aid him and his master on their planned invasion of Konoha. Soon, I will have everything I am owed'_

Mizuki laughs to himself in giddy joy at knowing his plan had no room to fail.

_**Next time...The truth comes out and the big move**_


	27. 2 Let Your Overdrive 2

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt. 2: Let Your Overdrive 2**

The Hokage stood in place for a few minutes after sending his shinobi out to find Naruto. Though he wanted to remain there and await any of them returning with Naruto, he recognized that he was an old man and he needed to rest and conserve his strength for emergencies.

"Lord Hokage" shouts Iruka as he comes running up.

"Ah Iruka, where were you? I didn't see you at the meeting before?" said Sarutobi.

"Meeting sir?" asked a confused Iruka.

"Yes, it would seem Naruto might have broken into the scroll vault and made off with an A-rank jutsu containing scroll" explained Sarutobi, though he figured hearing this would hurt Iruka.

"WHAT? But sir, that's not possible. I was with Naruto for most of the afternoon. I even went through his pack to make sure he had everything he would need out there. And then I escorted him outside the village as I requested to do" said Iruka.

"Are you sure about this? You were with him the whole time?" inquired Sarutobi.

"More or less sir. There was that hour in-between the test and me arriving at his hut. But, I still can't see Naruto doing that. I mean sure, he did pull pranks on people and liked to cause trouble and he also could be moody and antisocial on occasion, but Naruto would never do what your saying he might have done" says Iruka, trying his best to defend Naruto.

"If you did check his pack and didn't see the scroll, do you think he might have had it hidden inside his clothes?" asked Sarutobi.

"No sir, I saw no indication of a scroll being hidden that way. And Naruto wouldn't know about the ability to conceal scrolls and other such items inside his stomach at this time, seeing as that is a technique only taught after becoming a Chunin" said Iruka.

"You're right. Then this can only mean someone else stole the scroll while transformed to look like Naruto. Possibly, this person wasn't satisfied with just having him cast out of the village" said Sarutobi.

"I wonder if the same person is responsible for Naruto's failing the third test too?" wondered Iruka aloud.

"What do you mean?" asked Sarutobi.

"When I was with Naruto before, he told me some odd things. And from the sound of it, it seems like he was infected with a chakra poison that made him lose control" said Iruka.

"If that is true, then we'll be able to verify it with a medical examination. Even the best chakra poisons need at least a full day to be expelled from the system, even after the effect wears off" said Sarutobi as he took his pipe out and lit it up.

"Sir, I request permission to head out and find Naruto and bring him back" said Iruka as he took a kneeling position.

"Granted" said Sarutobi. As Iruka got up and rushed off, the Hokage hoped that Iruka was right, for both Naruto's sake and his future too.

**(Naruto)**

Naruto collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He found it funny that, seeing as he wasn't a member of Konoha no more, he was training harder than he ever had towards his goal of being a ninja.

It wasn't easy, but he was sure he had gotten the jutsu he had chosen to be his first gain from the scroll down pat. As he reached out and rolled the scroll back up, deciding that he would work on another jutsu tomorrow, he realized what he could do now with his life.

He'd become a jack of all trades; going around and helping anyone he came across for either money, food, and or shelter as payment. 'I think guys like that are called Ronin or Monks or something. Anyways, at least I have something to work towards now.'

Suddenly finding himself yawning, Naruto realized that it was getting late and he should get some sleep. So he placed the scroll back into the pack and made himself comfortable again and slowly began to nod off into slumber land.

Or at least, that was the plan. But the sudden rustling of tree branches caught his ears and he opened his eyes in time to see a shadow come over him. 'Hey, that looks like a Konoha forest cloak. I wonder who that is?'

Now curious, Naruto got up and followed after the person as quickly and quietly as he could. It wasn't much longer before the person came to a stop and Naruto found himself a nice spot to hide in and watch. After a few seconds of silence, the figure made a weird whistling like sound into the darkness.

As Naruto wondered what was happening, another figure stepped up from the shadows and was also wearing a cloak of unknown design. "You are late, shinobi of Konoha" said the newly arrived figure.

"My apologies, it took longer than I expected for my plan to get started in full" said the Konoha figure.

_'Hey, isn't that Mizuki-sensei's voice?'_ wondered Naruto.

"In any case, do you have the data?" asked the mystery figure.

"Yes, it's all right here in this scroll. The current location of the village, tactical Intel on all of our shinobi and weapons, and a listing of all strengths and weaknesses our village and forces currently had" said Mizuki as he hands over the scroll.

_'What? No way, Mizuki-sensei is...selling Konoha out?'_ thought Naruto in disbelief. There was no way it was true. It had to be a joke or a bad dream or something.

The mystery figure opened it up and read over it intently before looking up and saying "Very good. My master will be most pleases with this gift."

"And he will honor his end of the deal, right?" asked Mizuki hopefully.

"All that he promised and more, I assure you. And, as a special thanks for this data, I was told to give you this" said the figure as he uses his free hand to reach into the cloak and pulls out a pill; handing it to Mizuki. "Consider this a little bonus for your help."

Mizuki looks it over, then ask "What is it?"

"Just a little something my...excuse me, I should say OUR Otokage created to help his men improve their individual abilities and maximize their talents" said the figure.

Mizuki looks the pill over in wonder while thinking _'Nice. Very nice indeed.'_

"Hold it" shouts Naruto as he jumps from his hiding spot to confront Mizuki and his mysterious friend. "What are you doing, Mizuki-sensei? Are you selling out the village?"

"It seems you were followed. Maybe I was wrong to make this deal with you" said the figure.

Mizuki smiles as he pulls his hood off and says "Don't worry about it. This one was exiled earlier today and has a death sentence on his head for stealing a scroll. You just get out of here, unless you would rather see this boys insides on the outside."

"No thank you. I've seen enough innards in my life already that I don't need to see any more unless it's for my research. We'll be in touch soon" said the figure before turning around and walking off.

"Naruto, so glad you showed up here when you did. It saves me the trouble of having to find you before anyone else does" said Mizuki.

"Who was that guy, just then? And why did you give him information about the village? And what did you mean that I have a death sentence on my head for stealing a scroll? I never stole anything" shouts Naruto.

"In regards to the scroll, you are correct about not having stole it. I will admit that I was that person and I hid it in your bag while you and Iruka were off together and I used a special transformation jutsu to alter its appearance for a few hours to keep it from being found till after you had been taken from the village" explained Mizuki.

"But why?" asked Naruto.

Mizuki smiled deviously as he said "I suppose there are two reason's behind the why. First, having a scroll go missing and making it look like it had been you that had taken it would be a good and easy way to sneak out of the village to meet with my contact without drawing any unwanted attention to myself."

"But if that was true, why actually hide it on me? Couldn't you have kept it with you then return it and be some big hero?" shouts Naruto.

"That brings up the other reason. You see Naruto, by stealing that scroll or should I say making people think you stole it will result in having to bring you back so you can be punished for the crime. And given the fact few people care for you, I doubt many will care or believe in your innocence" explained Mizuki.

"But why?" asked Naruto.

"Because, the punishment for this crime is usually death" said Mizuki.

Naruto's eyes went wide with a stunned expression. He was going to be killed because it was made to look like he had stolen it? But why would Mizuki do this? Didn't Mizuki like him, was one of the very few people who actually liked him?

"I can see the shock in your eyes. Are you curious as to why I would do this? I am willing to tell you before I kill you if you ask me to" said Mizuki.

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"Well, to be honest. If you were just some stray kid that had been taken in from the outside, I wouldn't care about if you lived or died. Hell, I might even have actually tried to help you stay with the village because you seem like a good kid. But I know the truth and I know that the you that is shown to the world is nothing more than a feint. And that is because I know that you are..."

"MIZUKI?" shouts Iruka as he appears from the tree lines and lands between Naruto and Mizuki.

"Huh? Iruka-sensei, what are you doing here?" asked Naruto.

"Ah, Iruka. I wasn't expecting you to show up. Did you come to finally get your revenge too?" asked Mizuki.

'Revenge?' wondered Naruto.

"Mizuki, I heard what you said before. I can't believe that you were about to speak of something lord Hokage expressly forbade us all from talking about. Nor can I believe you would circumvent the orders of the Hokage. He said to bring Naruto back, not kill him outright" shouts Iruka.

"Why do you care if he finds out now or not? He's no longer a member of our village and besides, his fate should not mean anything to you. He is, in a way, the one who murdered your parents" said Mizuki.

Naruto's eyes go even wider with shock as Iruka shouts out "That's insane. My parents dies when he was a baby. He had nothing to do with it. How could you make such a declaration?"

"It all goes back to the truth. Naruto, the truth is that you are..." Mizuki starts to say before Iruka cuts him off with a yell as he charges forward.

"Iruka-sensei" shouts Naruto as Mizuki also charges forward.

"Fool, did you forget that I have always been faster" shouts Mizuki as he pulls out a kunai, skillfully dodges Iruka's attack, then stabs him in the stomach. As Iruka doubles over from this hit, Mizuki then sends a kick to his face that send him flying into a nearby tree.

"Iruka-sensei" shouts Naruto as he tries to run towards him, but stops as he see Mizuki began to walk towards him.

"Now, where were we?" asked Mizuki as he then approaches Naruto. "Ah yes, I was about to tell you the truth. And this is the truth. Twelve years ago, the Biju known as the Kyubi appeared and attacked our village. Many people were killed and if not for the outsider's unexpected arrival, we would have died. But he managed to defeat the beast and saved us all. But, he also sealed the Kyubi's powers into the body of the infant he had with him and you Naruto, were that infant" explained Mizuki.

"No way...it can't be..." said Naruto, stunned by this revelation.

Mizuki comes to a stop over him and says "Now you know the truth. The reason why you have been alone and looked down upon by everyone is because, even though you may have been born human, you aren't human now. With the final act of that man, you became a demon, the new Kyubi."

_'It can't be. I...I really am a monster'_ thought Naruto.

"Now, for the sake of everyone alive. I will kill you here and now before the power that sleeps within you ever resurfaces and you bring death and darkness to the world" says Mizuki as he raises the kunai up and readies to kill Naruto.

Naruto knew that it was true. It helped explain a lot about the dreams he had, the thoughts and feelings he felt and experienced. He looked up and saw the hate in Mizuki's eyes and decided to just let himself be struck down. Maybe it would be for the best.

"No, he's wrong Naruto" shouts Iruka as he struggles to get to his feet. As both Naruto and Mizuki look over at him, he adds "It's true that the power of the Kyubi is sealed within you. But that doesn't make you a monster. Think about it. Have you ever done anything remotely close to what I monster would do? A monster would kill and hurt everyone around them. You pulls pranks and practical jokes. A demon would attack and destroy those that hurt them. You just boast of your future and bury the anger deep inside. Ask yourself, are you the real monster here, or is it Mizuki who would betray his village for his own personal gain?"

_'Iruka-sensei...'_ thinks Naruto.

"What a load of crap, Iruka. Did you forget that your parents were killed by the Kyubi and now, Naruto is the Kyubi" asked Mizuki.

"Exactly, the nine tailed Biju killed my parents. Naruto may now have its power, but that doesn't make him the Kyubi. Naruto is Naruto, not a demon" said Iruka as he smiled.

"Sensei..." said Naruto, looking at Iruka with a new sense of pride in his eyes.

"You're a fool, Iruka. But no matter, I'll have to kill you here now anyways. After all, no witnesses as they say. But first, this demon dies like it deserves to" shouts Mizuki as he stabs down at Naruto.

Naruto suddenly dodges to the side, grabbing Mizuki's wrist before he could adjust his strike. To his surprise, Naruto's grip begins to strengthen as his eyes seem to change for a second. "I won't let you hurt Iruka-sensei" shouts Naruto before he knocks Mizuki's hand upwards, then kicks him in the stomach.

Mizuki flies back but manages to land on his feet. As he looks at Naruto, he says "See Iruka, he is a demon. There's no way he could have done all that if he was human."

"He's more human than you are, Mizuki. At least he wouldn't betray the village like you're doing" replied Iruka.

Mizuki growls before saying "You really are a fool. I guess I'll have to kill you too as well."

Mizuki goes run at Iruka to kill him, but Naruto gets in the way and says "I told you I won't let you hurt Iruka-sensei and I meant it. And now, I'll bring you're insanity here to a close with my new jutsu. Shadow Clone jutsu."

'WHAT?' mentally thinks Mizuki.

But to his horror, Naruto's shadow being cast by the moon darkens and shifts around him in a circle. And from his shadow emerges twenty clones that take on full, perfect form.

"Naruto, how did you...when did you?" asked an astonished Iruka.

"I though that scroll was something you snuck into my pack without my noticing it. It was the first jutsu that was inside and I decided to try it out first" replied Naruto.

"Impossible, this is impossible. There is no way a failure of a shinobi like you could learn such an advance jutsu" shouts Mizuki.

Naruto and his clones smile as Naruto says "Did you forget already? You yourself said I was a demon; a Biju none the less. Doesn't that mean something like the Shadow Clone jutsu would be a cake walk for a monster like me?"

Mizuki roars in anger as he charges at Naruto, who sends his clones in to attack. Though Mizuki manages to take out a few of them, he is still unable to handle them all at once, especially when the real Naruto comes in and punches him as hard as he can; knocking a few teeth out of Mizuki's mouth from the impact.

That last hit sends Mizuki slamming back into the ground, unmoving and Naruto quickly turns and rushes over to Iruka.

"Sensei, are you OK?" asked Naruto.

"I'll be fine? What about you, Naruto?" asked Iruka.

"5 by 5. Can't say the same for that jerk though" replies Naruto as he looks back at Mizuki. "I don't understand, Iruka-sensei. I can understand now why he hated me; why a lot of the people in the village look and treat me like they do. But why would Mizuki betray the village like this?"

Iruka sighs and says "Sometimes, people who are loyal can become angry and disgruntled at the way things are going or feel they're being overlooked and will seek out another who will give them the attention and gratitude they feel they deserve and have earned."

Naruto looks back at Iruka and says "Maybe Mizuki-sensei was expecting more for himself than he had actually earned."

The sudden sound causes them both to turn and see Mizuki rising to his feet; a small pill in his hand. Then, to their surprise, Mizuki throws his head back and drops the pill into his mouth and swallows it.

Immediately, a massive swelling of chakra burst out from his body and his muscles began to bulge._ 'I refuse to be beaten here. Even if my jaw is broken, I will still at least kill them. ?...Incredible, this power I gained from the pill is unimaginable. With this power, I bet I could even kill the Hokage'_ thinks Mizuki.

"Man, that power is unreal" says Iruka as he feels the chakra radiating off of Mizuki.

"It's that pill the cloaked person was wearing gave Mizuki after he handed off that scroll about our village" adds Naruto.

Mizuki takes on a battle stance and prepares to launch an when the chakra suddenly fades out. _'Wha...what happened to my power...?'_ wonders Mizuki before another feeling sweeps over him.

And then, his insides suddenly feel like his whole body is being ripped apart. Mizuki realizes what is going on at once. The pill was a trick and it was causing his chakra network to implode. His body convulses violently and several blast of chakra burst from his body before he collapses to the ground.

Naruto and Iruka walk over and see that Mizuki was dead. "Naruto, let's go home" said Iruka.

"What do you mean, Iruka? I...don't have a home anymore" said Naruto.

Iruka looks at him and smiles; saying "Sure you do. You are a Genin of the Leaf after all now, so you do have a home."

Naruto's eyes go wide as he ask "Are you serious? This isn't a joke...right?"

Iruka shakes his head and says "I'm serious, Naruto. We found out that you were sabotaged during the test and lets face it; you've learned the Shadow Clone jutsu. How can I not make you a Genin?"

Naruto's eyes water before he hugs Iruka and says "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Iruka-sensei. I promise I won't let you down."

Iruka ruffles Naruto's hair and says "I know you won't, Naruto."

Naruto and Iruka returned to the village along with the body of Mizuki. After hearing what happened, the Hokage agreed with Naruto's becoming a Genin; though the elders argued in vain against it. But, due to what Mizuki had done; the village would be forced to undergo a relocation due to the fear of the villages location having been compromised.

Also in the early morning, Sarutobi had called Naruto to him and gave him a few additional bits of info about his Shadow Clone jutsu that he could use along side the technique. The explanation didn't take long and once the explanation was done, Naruto got up but stopped as the Hokage spoke up again.

"Naruto, there's something I would like to ask of you" said Sarutobi as Naruto as he started to leave the room.

"What is it?" asked Naruto.

"I want to ask if you'd be willing to keep an eye om my grandson during the move. Normally, I would ask his special teacher, but Ebisu will be needed on other matters. So, will you help me out with this?" asked Sarutobi.

"Basically, you're asking me to play babysitter for a few hours doing the move?" asked Naruto.

The Hokage nodded which led to Naruto sighing. "I have a feeling I'm gonna regret this, but fine. Where should I meet him?"

"I'll have Ebisu hand him over to you at the entrance just before we begin the relocation" said Sarutobi.

Naruto nods before leaving the room. As he sits back in his chair and puffs his pipe, Sarutobi can't help but grin over this. _'Hmm, I wonder who's will shall prove stronger; Naruto's or Konohamaru's?'_

_**next time: Peas in a pod, Jonin sensei...**_


	28. 3 Brat Pact

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.3: Brat Pact**

The knocking on his door went unnoticed by Naruto, who was busy snoozing up a storm due to the late night he had just had. After the whole Mizuki incident and returning to the village with Iruka, Naruto had gone through a two hour talk with the Hokage and his two advisers Well, it took two hours to get the advisers to shut up and remember their place in the village.

Plus, rather it be good or bad, Naruto had threaten to go demon and eat them if they didn't stop giving the old man a headache. Did they believe him or not wasn't all that important, though Naruto felt like they had as they had backed off and left soon after.

After that, the old man had given Naruto a little chat about his Shadow Clone jutsu and how to use it properly and even a few things that Sarutobi himself has come up with in his youth. After that, Naruto had been asked to do a favor for the old man during the move and Naruto had (eventually) accepted.

And then, Naruto had left the room while Iruka stayed behind to talk about of few more things. Iruka had shown up at Naruto's place before he had fallen asleep and told Naruto he would be by to get him in the morning and once the move was over and the village had been sat up again, he would meet his new sensei along with the other seven genin graduates. And Naruto was going to be given Mizuki's house to live in as well seeing Mizuki didn't need it anymore.

Another knock came against the door, more forceful than before and again, Naruto failed to respond. Finally, Iruka sighed as he tries the handle and finds the door opened, remembering that this converted shed didn't have a working lock anymore, which made Naruto getting a new place all the better.

Walking in and seeing Naruto snoring away like a big baby brought a smile to Iruka's face. _'Geez Naruto, what will it take to wake you up? Hm, I wonder...'_

Iruka feels evil as he leans in close and whispers into Naruto's ear "Hey Naruto, you're missing the all you can eat ramen buffet at Ichiraku's."

"SSSNNNOOORRREEE" came Naruto loudly, taking Iruka by surprise.

"Wow, that was a response I didn't see coming. I guess you don't have ramen on the brain after all" said Iruka as he thinks of something else to try.

"How about this" said Iruka as he leans in again and whispers "Naruto, wake up...lord Hokage."

Again, nothing from Naruto. _'Damn, you must be in deep, huh?' _thought Iruka while thinking of another idea. And then, something comes to him that, if it didn't work, he'd have to use physical force.

"Naruto, if you don't get up right now, I'll send Ino in here and let her doll you up...again" said Iruka.

Naruto's eyes shoot open as he bolts up into a sitting position, then looks at Iruka and says "Don't you dare even joke about that, sensei."

"So, I see you still remember that incident then?" said Iruka as the memory of the incident plays through his head.

Three years ago, Ino had taken Naruto and Shikamaru Nara with her back to her place while her parents had been out (Ino's dad was a ninja, her mom was a teacher at the academy who was attending a teachers meeting at the time). She had said that she needed them to help her with an important project.

That project had turned out to be her dressing them up like giant living dolls, then parading them around the village to get a cheap laugh. No one knows how she got them to play dress up or how she managed to get them to walk around the village all dolled up. But still, everyone had loved it...except Naruto and Shikamaru though.

"Yeah, I do. And I still see people giggling at me from time to time too" grumbled Naruto.

"That aside, are you ready to go? Apart from a few key structures in the village, your old home is the only one yet to be sealed into a scroll for the journey" said Iruka.

"Yeah, I'm ready" said Naruto as he gets out of bed and grabs his still packed pack. "Out of curiosity, what's gonna happen to this place anyways?"

"Well, seeing as you're being given Mizuki's house after the move is finished, this old shack will likely be torn down and recycled for other things" said Iruka.

"To bad; I have some fond memories in this place" said Naruto.

"Yeah, I know. But never forget, Naruto. Things change as we move through life. So always be prepared for new things to come and old things to fade with time" instructed Iruka.

"Yeah. Well, lets get going. I, after all, do have a babysitting job ahead of me" said Naruto before he and Iruka exit the hut.

Once Iruka had sealed the hut into a scroll, he and Naruto make their way down the emptied streets of Konoha. "Iruka, tell me about this Konohamaru kid I'm going to be watching?" asked Naruto.

"Well, Konohamaru is the grandson of the Hokage and many believe him to be a potential Hokage in the future. Possibly the fifth. His parents were killed in an accident five years ago when he was just two years old and he's currently been living with his uncle, Asuma Sarutobi, lord Hokage's only surviving child" said Iruka.

"Man, it sounds like he's had a hard life" said Naruto as he looks down sadly.

"Not as bad as it sounds. He is considered a treasure to many in the village and he's never wanted for nothing. And he has been given all the best teachers to insure that if he chooses to become Hokage one day, he'll be able to accomplish that goal with ease" explained Iruka.

As they approach the main gate, Naruto sees the large gathering of the people in the village already standing there; waiting for the remaining details to be dealt with before the move could begin. Then Naruto sees a small boy of seven standing by a tall man with dark shades over his eyes.

"There's Konohamaru now; standing beside his main teacher. Ebisu. Let's go introduce you two, then me and Ebisu can go help finish the sealing" said Iruka as they walk forward.

"Ah, Iruka. So you finally showed up" said Ebisu as he catches sight of the young Chunin.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Naruto here had a late night and it took a while to wake him up" replied Iruka.

"I see" said Ebisu, his voice slightly deeper than before. Ebisu looks down at Naruto and even though his eyes were hidden behind the shades, Naruto knew that he was being looked at with the same kind of look most gave him. A look that said that he wasn't wanted here.

Ebisu returns his gaze to Iruka and says "To be honest, I have my reservations on leaving the young lord here with this newly commissioned Genin."

Not liking what he was hearing, Iruka ask "May I ask why, Ebisu?"

Ebisu ignores the hint of anger in Iruka's voice as he replies "Naruto in know to be a major trouble maker who can't take things seriously most of the time. I fear he'll be a bad influence on the young lord."

"Regardless, this is an order from the Hokage himself so there's no getting around it" states Iruka with a hint of pride and victory in his voice.

"To true. Any ways, we have work to do, so we better get going" said Ebisu before he looks back at Konohamaru and says "Don't forget what I told you, OK?"

Konohamaru nods before the two older men turn and leave Naruto and Konohamaru with the rest of the villagers. Naruto quickly catches the sounds of people whispering to one another and though he doesn't hear what is being said, he already knows what it's about.

Pushing the desire to yell out a reminder that "he's a Genin of Konoha now so shut up and accept me being here already" out of his mind, Naruto walks over to Konohamaru and says "So, you're the old man's grand kid, huh? I'm Naruto Uzumaki; nice to meet you." Naruto then extends a hand outward for a shake.

Konohamaru, his eyes closed, ignores Naruto and doesn't respond. A slight feeling of irritation wells up within Naruto as he takes a step forward while keeping his hand out. Konohamaru cracks an eye open long enough to look before turning to the side, letting Naruto know that he wasn't interested.

Now starting to get mad, Naruto manages to maintain a somewhat calm voice as he says "You know, when someone offers their hand in friendship, it's best to return the gesture or at least acknowledge it."

Konohamaru turns his head and opens his eyes to look at Naruto and says in a cold voice "Get bent" before closing his eyes and looking away again.

Now, Naruto had two choices here. One, he could shrug this off and place the nice guy; reminding Konohamaru that he had been assigned to watch him during the move. So they should at least try to be friendly with one another.

The other was to get mad and react in the manner an angry person normally would react with.

Guess which one Naruto chose?

Naruto's response was to ball up his fist and conks Konohamaru as hard as he could atop the seven year old's head. The younger kid's eyes shoot open as he finds himself crouching down, holding his head while he yelps out "Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch."

Seeing several people starting to take a step towards him, Naruto simply says "Remember, lord Hokage assigned me to watch him during the move. Now, what would you do if he was being difficult?"

And to Naruto's surprise, this actually made them look at one another before turning back and going back to their business. Glad to have avoided that problem, Naruto looks back at Konohamaru who had finally recovered from the conk and then glares at Naruto with icy eyes.

"What the hell was that for?" shouts Konohamaru.

Naruto grins and says "You were being a brat and brats get punished for bad and rude behavior."

_'Something I know all to well' _he mentally adds.

"Brat? BRAT? Do you know who I am? I am Sarutobi Konohamaru, grandson of the third Hokage and likely future Hokage" shouts Konohamaru.

Naruto grins before grabbing the top of Konohamaru's head and pushes him down slightly and roughly as Naruto then says loudly "I don't care if he's your granny and I don't care about what your future is like. A brat is still a brat and I'm not afraid to say and do what needs to be done to seal with a brat like you."

Growling angrily, Konohamaru pushes Naruto's hand off his head and says "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

Naruto then gives him a big smile as he points his thumb at himself and says "Naruto Uzumaki; Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Believe it."

"Ha, you...Hokage? Don't make me laugh" says Konohamaru as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"What ever, brat. Just remember that your GRANDPA has chosen me to watch you, so you better behave yourself, Mr. future Hokage" said Naruto in a proud voice. "But how about we make a bet with one another over who becomes Hokage first."

Konohamaru looks at him and says "Alright, what do you have in mind?"

"Well, if I become Hokage before you. Then, you have to be my slave and do anything I say for a full month" said Naruto.

Konohamaru thinks about it, then says "Deal, and it will be the reverse if I become Hokage before you, slave boy."

"Then shake on it to seal the deal, honor brat" said Naruto before he and Konohamaru finally have a hand shake with one another.

The next twenty minutes are quiet as they wait along side everyone else for things to be finished. Finally, all the Jonin ranked shinobi come walking up and take their places around the assembled villagers for protective reasons and the Hokage finally arrives and stands before everyone.

"Everyone, may I have your attention please" came Sarutobi, using a special jutsu to increase the strength and range of his voice so everyone could hear him.

Once everyone 's attentions was upon him, he continued. "As you all know by now, we have had a security leak as a result of actions taken by one of our own; Mizuki. Because of this as well as him passing unknown information to an unknown enemy, we are forced to undergo this immediate relocation of the village."

Taking a second to rest his tired voice, he then says "For those of you who are at least thirty years of age or older will already know how this works, but for you younger generations; listen closely to my words as this is of vital importance."

After another moment of silence, he says "As you can see, the village Jonin ninja have formed a circle around all of you while the Chunin are more centered with in the interior. This is so that they can cast an illusion jutsu to hide the village as a whole to to keep our movement a secret. During the journey, you must stay in formation and NOT wander outside the circle, which will be represented by a glowing seal along the ground."

After another break, he says "The relocation will take until tomorrow to complete, assuming we have no delays. So expect to camp out under the stars tonight. Again, remain within the circle in order to insure that our relocation isn't discovered by those who would want to harm us."

Once everyone had been positioned accordingly, Sarutobi, Koharu, and Homura stepped forward and made a special series of hand signs before saying in unison "Barrier that has hidden this village of Konoha for many years, your task is through. Now be released at last and return to the truth that only you could ever knew."

Everyone watched as cracks begin to form in the sky around them as the Jonin and Chunin make their own hand signs and activate the cameo barrier to hide the villagers themselves. Once the cracks over the old village barrier had reached a certain growth point, the barrier that hidden them for many years shatters like glass, falling and fading away behind them.

The Hokage and his two advisers step back and enter into the hidden barrier quickly before giving the command to begin the move. And with that, the villagers of Konoha began their long trek to a new hiding spot.

The journey during the morning hours took a little getting use to for everyone. But by noon, everyone had finally gotten into the flow of the motion and things were going well. Though it was a little late, they soon stopped around two in the afternoon to let the villagers rest before heading on to the spot were they would set up camp for the night.

During the morning walk, Naruto and Konohamaru hadn't really said much to each other, which had been fine for the most part for the both of them. Naruto, in truth, had expected Konohamaru to give him some trouble, but the kid had behaved and had kept mostly to himself.

_'Maybe its because he's the Hokage's grand kid?' _wondered Naruto as he thought about it.

When they had stopped for the rest break, Naruto noticed something curious about Konohamaru. As people came up and brought food for Konohamaru some food and drink, they would ask him if he was OK. And other people were coming up and asking him the same thing and Naruto felt that it was all to make sure that HE wasn't causing the young lord any troubles.

But it wasn't them bringing him food or asking if he was doing fine that had been curious to Naruto. Rather, it was the fact that they were all calling him honorable grandson that had caught his eye. Sure, Konohamaru would always smile when they were present. But as soon as they turn and left, his face would change and he would get a very angry and annoyed look on his face.

Finally, Naruto decided to ask him about it. "Hey brat, is something wrong?"

"It's nothing, slave" replied Konohamaru.

"Wanna talk about it?" asked Naruto, pressing the issue.

"I said it's nothing" said Konohamaru with a little more earnestness in his voice before mumbling "Not that you would understand."

"Try me. You might be surprised about what it is I can understand" said Naruto.

Rolling his eyes, Konohamaru turns to look at him and says "Fine, you wanna know. Then I'll tell you. I hate it when they call me honorable grandson. There, happy now?"

"That's not so bad, when you think about it" said Naruto.

"Yeah right; you just don't know anything. With everyone, it's always honorable grandson this or young lord that. I hate it, damn it. Why can't people see me as me; as Konohamaru. Why can't they call me by my NAME" says Konohamaru angrily.

"I do know, believe it or not. As far back as I can remember, people have never seen me as Naruto. They see me as punk, troublemaker, pest, monster, and demon. So believe me, I know what it is you're going through...to some degree anyways" said Naruto.

Konohamaru looks at him and is going to say something, but doesn't. But after a minute, he says "I could probably deal with it better if Ebisu-sensei would at least call me Konohamaru like I ask him. But he never does, rather saying that not calling me honorable grandson would be an insult. That's why I want to become Hokage, so people will see me as me."

"Actually, they won't see you as you, but as Hokage" said Naruto, taking Konohamaru by surprise. Naruto then looks at him and says "It's true, ya know. You'll go from being honorable grandson to lord Hokage, which I guess is a trade up. But is it really any better than what you have now?"

"I guess not, though my wish for Hokage goes beyond that. Like protecting everyone like grandpa does" said Konohamaru.

"Yeah..." said Naruto as he goes back to looking skyward.

"You know, I'd be happy if I could at least get Ebisu-sensei to call me Konohamaru, at least every once in a while" said Konohamaru.

"Well, you can...if your up for a small challenge" said Naruto, making Konohamaru look at him in surprise.

"How?" asked Konohamaru.

Naruto grins before saying "By being sneaky, of course. Here's my idea." He then leans in and whispers into Konohamaru's ear and after a second, the seven year old begins to smile deviously at what he was hearing.

Soon, the move continued on and as night fell, came to a stop again as the higher tier ninja created a barrier that would be maintained over the night to keep them hidden. Several hours after everyone had turned in for the night, Konohamaru woke up and snuck over to where Ebisu was sleeping and managed to get into his pack and pulled out a scroll. He then takes the scroll back over to Naruto to examine.

As they released the contents of the scroll, which revealed a small chest that contained all of Ebisu's treasures, Konohamaru used a special jutsu to break the lock that he had been taught by Ebisu so he and Naruto could hopefully learn Ebisu's biggest secrets; secrets that could be used to make their plan a success.

The following morning, as everyone was eating breakfast and preparing for the following hours of walking, Konohamaru approached Ebisu to ask him a question. "Ebisu-sensei, I challenge you."

Ebisu coughs a little from from the drink he was downing before looking up at Konohamaru and ask "Pardon?"

"I want to challenge you to a quick battle before we leave. Do you accept?" asked Konohamaru.

"Sure, I guess a quick lesson would be good before we leave. But tell me, why the challenge?" asked Ebisu.

"Simple; if I win this challenge. If you can be beaten; and by that I mean you are knocked to the ground, then you must stop calling me honorable grandson or young lord. You must call me Konohamaru like I want you to" said Konohamaru.

"But young lord, that would be disrespectful to you" argued Ebisu.

"What's this, is the special Jonin afraid of being beaten by a kid?" asked Naruto as he walked up.

Ebisu glares at Naruto and says "This is your doing, isn't it?"

Naruto grins then says "I might have suggested it."

Ebisu scoffs before saying "Honorable grandson, I told you to not listen to anything he said."

"But he's right though. Are you afraid?" asked Konohamaru.

"Certainly not. Fine, I accept your challenge. Come with me, both of you" said Ebisu as he stands and leads them a little ways away, but still staying within the barrier.

Little did any of the three of them know was that the Hokage had over heard this little talk and had decided to follow them to see how this turned out. Once they had arrived at the spot Ebisu felt would be good for this fight, he turns and says "I'll let you make the first move, honorable grandson."

Konohamaru takes a battle stance, as does Ebisu. As they face each other down, Ebisu wonders what technique he had taught Konohamaru would be used against him first. But then, the young lord does something he wasn't expecting; he makes the hand sign for a transformation jutsu.

"Transform" says Konohamaru before being enveloped by the smoke of the change.

"Honorable grandson, I thought I had taught you better than that. I guess I have to show you that a transformation won't help you win against...what?' says Ebisu as he sees what Konohamaru had turned into.

Instead of looking like a seven year old boy, Konohamaru now looked like a young girl of twenty or so, dressed in only a skimpy bikini. Ebisu's eyes go wide with shock as he stammers out "Miss...Miss June?"

"That's right, big boy. I'm one of your favorite sexy beauty's of the Senai Calender Girls of the Year" said Konohamaru with a sexy voice as he winked at her.

"That...that is totally unacceptable, honorable grandson. How did you know...I mean, where did you learn such indecent perversions from?" shouts Ebisu before looking at Naruto and says in a low, angry voice "It was you, wasn't it?"

Naruto grins as he says "I might have suggested it...just a little."

Ebisu becomes even madder as he says "You insolent little...I'll make you pay for perverting the mind of a innocent child", then charges at Naruto.

_'Oh well, I guess I gotta play along too' _thinks Naruto before creating several twenty four shadow clones.

"You fool, you won't escape my wrath no matter how many you create" shouts Ebisu as he approaches Naruto and the twenty four clones come to stand between the two.

"Wanna bet? Time to show him what I mean, girls" shouts Naruto as twelve of the clones morph into the twelve calendar girls from the magazine.

This makes Ebisu stop and stare for a second at the sight of his secret fantasy, but then remembers that this was all just a transformation which lead him to say "I see now. You some how found out about my subscription to Beautiful Girls of Senai magazine. Very clever, but that won't work on me."

"Yeah sensei, me and Naruto picked your pack last night and found your stash" said Konohamaru.

"And guess what else we learned" said Naruto as he gave the signal to the other twelve clones.

As they transform, Ebisu's face goes from anger to fear as he sees twelve warty, slimy frogs on the ground. Truth was, Ebisu was deathly afraid of frogs of all kinds. And now, Naruto and Konohamaru knew of that truth too.

"Y...you...little..." Ebisu manages to get out in a long stutter.

"You think that's bad, then get a load of this" said Naruto as the twelve female looking clones pick up the twelve frog clones and then kiss them, making Ebisu nearly retch at seeing his beloved girls kissing his greatest fear.

"Hey, hunk. Wanna do us a favor and kiss our froggy's" asked one of the girls before they all run forward to present their frogs to Ebisu to smooch.

Now, Ebisu knew that this was all just a transformation; that they were clones and not real girls and frogs. But with as big a fear as he had of frogs, it was hard to keep that in mind as he turned and ran for it. And then, he trips on a rock and falls upon the ground.

"Oh yeah, we won girls" shouts one of the clones as they all break into a cheer.

"Wait, what?" said Ebisu as he looks back at them.

"It's true Ebisu-sensei, you fell onto the ground and according the the terms of our agreement, I win and you have to call me Konohamaru from now on" said Konohamaru triumphantly.

"Now wait just a minute" said Ebisu as he stands up while Naruto dispels his clones. "I fell onto the ground as a result of Naruto's stupid joke, not by any action you take. There for, you didn't win anything."

"Actually, he did" said Naruto, making Ebisu look at him. "Remember what he said before? He didn't actually say that it had to be him that knocked you onto the ground. You just had to fall in general. And that fact is, you made yourself fall while running from a bunch a fake frogs."

Ebisu's face shifts to being one of shock and horror as he realizes that they were right. "Ah dammit" he says in defeat as Naruto and Konohamaru shout out in their victory and high five each other before doing a goofy little dance.

Off to the side, Sarutobi smiles at the funny scene that had just happened. And he was happy to as the thing he hoped would happen as a result of having Naruto watch over Konohamaru did happen after all.

The two of them had forged a bond of friendship.

"Hey, let's go tell Iruka-sensei about this" said Naruto, earning a nod of agreement with Konohamaru.

As they run off, Konohamaru says "Thanks for helping me out. You know, you're kind of cool, brother Naruto."

Naruto looks at Konohamaru in surprise, but then smiles as he says "You too, Konohamaru."

As Ebisu watches them walk off, he sighs from exasperation yet smiles anyways. "Well, that was rather entertaining" said Sarutobi from behind.

Ebisu jumps and says "Lord Hokage, how long have you been here?"

"Since the beginning. So, how do you feel about Naruto now?" asked Sarutobi.

"To be honest, I still thinks he's a little troublemaker and that he will be a bad influence on your grandson. But you know, maybe that will be a good thing somewhere down the line" said Ebisu.

_'Maybe you're right' _thinks Sarutobi happily.

After that,an agreement was reached between Konohamaru and Ebisu. From now on, Ebisu would call him lord Konohamaru which was enough for the young boy. After that, the rest of the move went by without incident and both Naruto and Konohamaru became good friends and partners.

One week later, the village had finally settled into its new surroundings and business was back as usual. And as for Naruto, he had just arrived at the Shinobi HQ and proceeded to the school section to meet up with his fellow genin to finally meet their future sensei's.

"So, who do you guys hope to get?" asked Naruto.

"I don't really care. Just as long as they aren't a workaholic. The last thing I want is an all business type" grumbled Shikamaru, who suffered a case of chronic laziness syndrome.

"I hope I get a beautiful kunoichi who can be like a big sister and help me on my path to womanhood" said Ino with visions of scary things in her mind. Well, scary for the guys anyways.

"What about you, Naruto?" asked Shikamaru.

"I don't know. I guess someone strong who will help me on my path to becoming Hokage" said Naruto.

"Oh, you mean like that Ebisu guy?" joked Ino, remembering what she had heard about the prank.

"Hell no. If I get him, I'll leave the village and go maverick" said Naruto in annoyance.

Just then, the sole door into the room opens and Iruka steps in. "OK everyone, today is the day you seven have been waiting for. And now, I shall bring in the seven Jonin and you'll learn which one you'll be assigned to. And now, your new sensei's."

**next time: prankster vs scarecrow.**


	29. 4 For Him, the Bell Chimes

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.4: For Him, the Bell Chimes**

The door opened again and six figures stepped into the room, coming to a stop beside Iruka. After a moment, Iruka says "We seem to be missing one Jonin. But that's fine seeing as he's usually late anyways. We'll go ahead and begin anyways."

And with that, Iruka begins to read off the list of Genin and telling them who their Jonin sensei was. After he had said the names of the first four, he says "Shikamaru Nara, you have been assigned Asuma Sarutobi as your sensei."

Asuma steps forward and says "So, it looks like we'll be working together for the next few years, huh kid?"

"Yeah, sure does" says Shikamaru before mentally adding _'Oh great, there goes my afternoon naps.'_

Shikamaru knew Asuma really well, do to his dad and Asuma were old friends. And Shikamaru liked Asuma because he was a mad skilled shogi player; much better than his father. But he also knew that Asuma wasn't going to let him stay in his lazy life style now, which was a total drag.

"Ino Yaminaka, you have been given Kurenai Yuhi" said Iruka.

The young twenty four year old woman walks over and says "Nice to meet you, Ino. I'll do my best to make you into a first rate ninja."

Ino nods and says "I'll do my best to be worthy of you, Kurenai-sensei." She then mentally adds _'Oh Kami, sensei is the hottest woman I have ever seen. I have to get her to tell me how she got such a smoking hot body. I want a body like that.'_

Kurenai, sensing what was going on inside Ino's head, just laughs as she wonders how she was going to handle her first student.

"Naruto, you have been given Kakashi Hatake. But as usual, Kakashi is late so you'll need to wait here till he arrives. The rest of you can go with your sensei's to have a talk about how you shall be trained and other such topics" said Iruka.

"Well Naruto, good luck" said Shikamaru as he gets up and joins Asuma.

"Yeah, you to. And Shikamaru, try to stay awake during his explanation, OK" says Naruto.

Ino gets up as well and says "Well Naruto, don't make us look bad with your sensei."

"Just as long as you focus on ninja training and not beauty tips, Ino" replies Naruto, making Ino stick his tongue out at him.

Before he exits the room, Asuma looks back at Naruto and says "You better get comfortable. Knowing Kakashi, you'll be here for a good while."

Once the Jonin and Naruto's former classmates had left the room, Iruka walks over and says "Well Naruto, I have to be going to. Now that you all have graduated, I need to go over the list of new students I'll begin training after a one month break."

"Is Konohamaru in the group?" asked Naruto.

"I think so; though he'll still be getting special side training from Ebisu-sensei" replied Iruka.

"Oh yeah, is there anything I should know about Kakashi? Besides him being the late to work type, I mean?" asked Naruto.

"About Kakashi-sensei? Well, he's a former Anbu captain though it might be better to say that he's taking an extended leave of absence from Anbu work. They say he has mastered over a thousand jutsu. And if not for his lax personality, he could be a potential candidate for Hokage" said Iruka.

"Wow, seriously? All right, the old man is definitely helping me along with my dream of being Hokage by assigning me a sensei who could be Kage material. This is going to be so awesome" cheered Naruto.

"I wouldn't get carried away with that line of thought, Naruto. Well, I better get going. Good luck and behave yourself" said Iruka as he turns and leaves the room.

"See ya soon, Iruka-sensei" replies Naruto.

Once he was alone, Naruto looks up at the clock and says "Soon Naruto; soon you'll meet your sensei and you'll finally get down to some serious training."

**(four hours later)**

Naruto's cheery and ecstatic disposition had faded away by this point and now he was practically fuming as a vein had popped out on his forehead. His foot was tapping the ground rapidly and his teeth were grinding against each other. And finally, Naruto snaps.

"AAARRRGGGHHH, I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE. JUST WHERE THE HELL IS HE?"

That was it for Naruto; he was tired of waiting. By now, Shikamaru, Ino, and the others were likely already learning some powerful jutsu or fighting techniques while he was sitting here and growing roots into the wooden floor. Well then, this called for drastic measures.

Since he still believed that Kakashi would show up eventually, he wanted to test him to see if he was any good at all. So Naruto went to work on setting up a little trap that would let him know just how good Kakashi really was. Besides, he was really bored and this gave himself something to do.

But if Kakashi didn't show up in another four hours, then he was out of here.

After about twenty minutes of work, Naruto put the finishing touches on his test before retaking his seat and returned to his impatient waiting.

After another hour, Naruto's ears perk up as he hears the sound of foot steps coming down the hall; getting louder and finally stopping right outside. It was then that a thought passed Naruto's head. What if Iruka or someone other than Kakashi came in? Wouldn't they spring the trap as well?

Before Naruto could react to this sudden realization, the door opens and a figure enters the room saying "Sorry for being late; I had to rescue a..."

That was all Kakashi had managed to say before Naruto's trap, which consisted of the teachers desk having been turned into a battering ram, came flying down from above and slammed into Kakashi, sending him flying back into the hall and slamming him hard against the far wall.

"Aw crap" shouts Naruto as he gets to his feet and rushes outside.

Seeing Kakashi collapsed onto the ground in a heap, Naruto gets down on his knees and shakes him while saying "Kakashi-sensei? Kakashi-sensei? Are you OK?"

"Was that because I was late?" asked Kakashi in a stunned and halting voice.

Fifteen minutes later, they were back in the room and Kakashi was laying on his back as the student nurse finished healing him with medical ninjutsu. Once she was done, she says "He'll be fine. But next time Mr. Uzumaki, use something smaller and lighter than a teachers desk, OK?"

"Yes ma'am" said Naruto.

After the nurse left the room, Naruto looks at Kakashi and says "Sorry about that, sensei. I just got really tired and frustrated from all this waiting and I guess I got carried away."

Kakashi sighs before saying "Don't worry about it, kid. I'm partly to blame from being so late. I forgot that we were suppose to be here this early and I lost track of time too. Besides, that was as good an introduction as any."

"OK, so what now?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi thinks about it for a second, before saying "Well, lets get to know each other. What are your likes and dislikes, hobbies and dreams for the future."

"OK...well, let me see. I like training, ramen, and working on my hobby. I dislike people who look down on others without getting to know them first. My hobby is gardening. And as for my dreams? Well, you know I want to be Hokage. But I also hope to learn more about my parent's and where they come from" said Naruto.

"Very good. As for me, I have many likes and dislikes. I guess reading my favorite novel series is my hobby and I don't really have any dreams for the future; not yet anyways" said Kakashi.

"Sensei, you know that really isn't fair. You should at least give me something more informative to go on" said Naruto.

"And I will, once you become a Chunin or a Jonin. Which ever one I feel like waiting for" replied Kakashi.

Naruto sighs, then says "Fine, so what next?"

"Well, how about we call it for today. But meet me at the entrance to the training fields in the morning and we'll proceed with the next part of our new master student relations" said Kakashi as he sits up.

"Huh? Tomorrow? But why not today?" asked Naruto.

"Because today I need to rest and regain my strength and recover from our meeting" said Kakashi.

"Good point" said Naruto as he begins to walk towards the door. But just as he gets to it, he looks back and says "Kakashi-sensei?"

"What is it?" asked Kakashi.

"Iruka-sensei told me you use to be in Anbu Black Ops. I was wondering why you aren't now?" asked Naruto.

"I needed a vacation, to be honest. And also, lord Hokage needed someone to train you and I was the only one who was willing to give it a try that didn't already have a Genin student chosen for them" said Kakashi.

"Oh" said Naruto as he looks down for a second. "Anyways, see you tomorrow, Kakashi-sensei."

"Tomorrow then" replied Kakashi as Naruto left the room.

Once he was alone, Kakashi mentally adds _'You're quite an interesting kid, Naruto.'_

**(the next day)**

Naruto sat leaning against a tree on the edge of the training field entrance, patiently awaiting the arrival of Kakashi. Well, waiting as patiently as he could, all things considered seeing as Kakashi was late...AGAIN. This made Naruto wonder if his definition of arrival meant such amount of time later.

Finally, after an hour of waiting, Naruto finally caught sight of Kakashi who was reading a book while walking up to him. Getting on his feet, Naruto sticks a hand out and points to his sensei and says in as irritated voice as he can muster "You're late again, Kakashi-sensei."

"Hm?" says Kakashi, as if he was just passing by and not expecting anyone. Seeing Naruto, Kakashi closes his eye as he cheerily says "Oh, Naruto. Sorry about that. You see, I was..."

"Cut the crap. I'm not interested in your excuses anyways" shouts Naruto before taking a deep breath to calm himself. "So sensei, what are we going to be doing here today? Basic combat training?"

"I guess you could call it that" said Kakashi as he uses his free hand to reach into his pocket and bulls out a single shiny bell, then holds it out for Naruto to see.

"Um, I don't get it" said a confused Naruto.

"Really? It's a rather simple thing if you think about it" said Kakashi. But seeing that Naruto still looked confused, he adds "Alright, here's the thing. Before I become your true sensei, you have to pass my test to see if you're ready to even be a Genin to begin with."

"WHAT? What kind of crap are you talking about here? I'm already a worthy Genin, aren't I? I passed the test (for the most part) and I learned an advanced jutsu and helped defeat a traitor. Besides, Iruka-sensei never said anything about this in class" shouts Naruto.

"That may be true, but remember this, Naruto. As your Jonin sensei, it is my right and duty to test if if I see fit. After all, I need to make sure training you won't be a waste of my time" said Kakashi.

Naruto glares at him for a moment before saying "Fine, then test me then. So, just what is it I'm suppose to do here?"

"You see this bell here? All I need you to do is get it off me, pure and simple. If you can do that, then you pass. If not, well..." said Kakashi before looking away instead of finishing.

"OK,OK, I get it. But when I get the bell, you gotta promise to be on time from now on, got it?" demands Naruto.

"Fine fine, let's begin shall we?" asked Kakashi before hooking the bell onto the bottom of his Jonin vest then returns to reading his book again.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei. Are you going to read that book of yours or are you actually going to focus on this fight?" asked Naruto.

"Naruto, you'll find that as your skill increases, you'll learn the helpful skill that we call multitasking. Besides, even you have to admit that at your level, this won't be that hard for me to read while fighting you" said Kakashi.

"Are you saying I'm a weakling?" shouts Naruto as he charges in, jumps into the air, and tries to land a kick on Kakashi.

The Jonin sensei, without even looking up, easily raises his free hand and grabs Naruto's kick and stops it easily before it can even impact against him. Getting angrier, Naruto shouts "Be serious and quit looking down on me" as he twist his body and sends his free leg kicking at Kakashi.

But Kakashi just uses the hand holding the book to block Naruto's second kick, then pushes back against Naruto and sends him flying back and away from him. Naruto flips in mid air and just barely manages to land upright before glaring at Kakashi again, his anger on the rise.

Seeing Kakashi just standing there, reading his little book while easily beating him was infuriating to Naruto. He knew that Kakashi had to be good, seeing as he was a Jonin and all, but this was just pathetic from his point of view. Wasn't he better than this? Shouldn't he be better than this.

_'OK Naruto, calm down. Getting all emotional and angry here won't solve anything. Remember what Iruka-sensei told you before. _"Naruto, though it is true that anger can give one great focus, you need to remember that it's the wrong kind of focus. True focus and clarity can only come from a calm mind, unclouded by anger or hate." _If I want to win here, then I'll need true focus and clarity.' _

Taking a few deep breaths, Naruto feels his anger lessening a little. Kakashi takes a moment to look at Naruto while keeping the impression that he was still reading his book. _'Well, maybe there's hope for him yet.'_

Once his anger had subsided, for the most part, Naruto takes up another battle stance before running forward, then falling into a slide as he tries to sweep Kakashi's legs out from under him. Kakashi leaps into the air to dodge the attack, then sends a kick out at Naruto to knock him back again.

But this time, Naruto blocks the kick himself and resist being sent back before pushing back in resistance himself and actually pushes Kakashi off balance just a little.

As Kakashi works to regain his balance, Naruto plants both hands onto the ground and pushes off hard as he launches himself into the air, then breaks into another series of fast kicks aimed at Kakashi. The Jonin finds himself having to step back with each block he manages to get against Naruto's attack.

Naruto tries one final direct kick, that Kakashi pushes up and away from him. Naruto back flips from this, yet manages to land on hid feet before making a hand sign and creates four Shadow Clones that burst out from his expanded shadow upon the ground.

Naruto and his four clones begin to run in clockwise and counter clockwise circles around Kakashi, trying to throw him off as their speed gets faster and faster. The purpose of this was the hope that if they could confuse him on as to who the real Naruto was, it might give Naruto a chance to get the bell.

Finally, one Naruto takes a charge at Kakashi from behind, making Kakashi send his leg swing back up to connect with the clones face, and dispersing it. Another clone leaps into the air to Kakashi's right and tries an aerial approach. Kakashi turns to send his fist out to hit it, but two more Naruto's take the moment of his shifting body turn to make a lunge for his legs and knock them out from under him.

Then, one of the two Naruto's that had knocked his legs out from under him then goes to grab the bell while he had an opening while the last Naruto present rushes in to grab Kakashi's free hand. Having not expected this from Naruto, Kakashi is left with no choice as he makes a hand sign.

"Wind style: Repelling Wind" says Kakashi as his body is surrounded by an intense funnel of air that blows Naruto and his clones back. The clones are quickly taken out as they hit the ground while Naruto is sent tumbling.

Jumping back to his feet, Kakashi closes his book before pulling out some ninja wire and rushes Naruto, wrapping his up in the wire to impede his movements before he could recover.

"The test is over" said Kakashi as he looks down at Naruto.

"What? No, it can't be...I was so close; my finger had just brushed against the bell. Please Kakashi-sensei, give me another try" asked Naruto.

"Why do you want another try, Naruto?" asked Kakashi.

"Because I know I can do better. And besides, if I don't get the bell, then you won't accept me as you student and train me" said Naruto, feeling frustrated.

"Naruto, now just when did I say that?" asked Kakashi.

Naruto looks at him, confused, and ask "Huh? But I thought..."

"Naruto, I said it was my right to test you in order to make sure that training you wouldn't be a waste of my time. I also said that the getting the bell was a test from me to you. But I never said the two were connect" said Kakashi-sensei.

"Seriously, so you're going to train me after all?" asked Naruto.

"Well, from what I have observed, training you doesn't appear to be a waste of my time. So sure, I'll train you and make you into a fine ninja. And one day, we'll do this test again in order to see how good you've become. But be warned though, that test will see me not holding back like I did this time" said Kakashi.

At hearing that, Naruto jumps to his feet and cheers happily, making Kakashi just smile beneath his mask as he watches. _'Besides, you did surprise me back there. And rather you know it or not, you did get the bell...for a second before I used my jutsu.'_

It was true as the bell wasn't attached to Kakashi's vest, but was laying on the grass by Naruto's feet. It was just luck and Naruto feeling like he had lost that had made him not realize that he had actually won this. Oh well, maybe Kakashi would tell him the truth one day and it will teach him to be more observant in the future.

"OK sensei, so what now?" asked Naruto as he calms down.

"How about we call it for today. Meet me here tomorrow and we'll start your first lesson" replied Kakashi.

"Aw, come on. Why can't we start now?" asked Naruto.

"Because there's a few things I'll need to get before we can really begin. But here's an idea; take what you observed during the test and try to see if you can apply this gained knowledge to use in bettering yourself" said Kakashi.

"But before we part for today, there is one other matter we need to attend to" said Kakashi.

"Yeah, and what is that, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi reaches up and removes his forehead protector and says to Naruto "You do the same, Naruto."

Naruto does as he is told and removes his forehead protector, which had been given to him by Iruka the following the move to the new location. "OK, so now what?" asked Naruto.

"OK, now I want you to bite your finger hard enough to draw blood, then smear that blood across your forehead protector" instructed Kakashi.

"O...K...?" said Naruto. Though he didn't understand this, he did as he was told.

Once he was done, Naruto ask "OK, now what?"

Kakashi then presents his forehead protector to Naruto, who sees that it also has a blood smeer across it. "Now give me yours while taking mine and repeat the pocess" instructed Kakashi.

Though he was still confused, Naruto does as he was told and smeers more of his blood over Kakashi's as Kakashi does the same. Once they were done, Kakashi pulls a scroll out and opens it up before placing it on the ground. "Now hand me my forehead protector, Naruto."

Naruto does as he's asked, but then ask "Sensei, mind telling me what this is about?"

"It's simple, Naruto. What we're doing is making a pact of master and student with one another. It's an ancient and sacred right that has existed for generations. By doing this, we basically make a pact that states that you will have nor other mentor besides me I an will accept no other student besides you till this tenure of being master and student has come to an end; when you become a Jonin."

Naruto blinks before saying "Wow, I never knew about this. So, I can only have you as a master and you will only train me till the day I become a Jonin?"

"Well, that or if one of us dies first" said Kakashi as he completes the ritual by activating the seal to finalize the pact. When it is done, he hands Naruto back his forehead protector which showed no trace of the blood smeer.

"But there is another way. If I need you to learn something from another teacher that I can't teach you myself, then I can give my permission for you to learn from that person. And if I am asked to help another student and if you consent, then I can train that person as well" said Kakashi.

"Oh, I see. Now I understand" said Naruto.

"Well, we better split for now. Let's meet up here bright and early in the morning for basic training."

"OK, but just make sure your here on time tomorrow, sensei" said Naruto before running off.

"Sure, I'll be here waiting" replied Kakashi, already knowing that he wouldn't be here on time. Once Naruto was gone, Kakashi scoops up the bell and places it back in his pocket before opening his book again and continuing on his way

Both Iruka and lord Hokage will want to hear how it s Naruto did here today.

**Next time: mission...the drunken builder**


	30. 5 Break the Wave 1

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.5: Break the Wave 1**

Naruto maneuvered through the darkened alley way as he stalked his target. Peering around a corner carefully and as silently as he could, he spies movement from a turned over trash can along with the sound of scavenging coming from within.

Returning to being fully covered behind the wall, Naruto pulls out his special paper tag and channels chakra into it before speaking in a whisper. "Kakashi-sensei, I think I've spotted the target in sector seven, in an alley behind a noddle shop. Request permission to move in and apprehend him."

There was a brief pause before Kakashi's voice comes through the seal on the paper. Permission granted. Be careful though, Naruto. We can't afford to loose this guy."

"Right" said Naruto before stuffing the paper back into his vest pocket.

Since becoming a Genin, Naruto had changed his usual attire of green, knee length shorts to black pants, his white shirt to a dark orange shirt, and he had added a simple black vest over it. Moving as stealthily as he could, Naruto tip toes out from behind the corner and approaches the target.

As he draws closer, Naruto prepares himself to move quickly should the target try to make a run for it. Within moments, he was standing before the turned over trash can with his hands raised and ready to grab when he made his move and pounced.

The sudden sound of scuffling stops as a pair of glowing eyes appears within Naruto's line of sight. Know that he had been seen, Naruto lunges into the trash can and grabs hold of the target, gripping as tightly as he could, but not so tightly as to cause serious harm, while the target struggles to free itself.

After a moment, the target stops its struggling and Naruto crawls out of the trash can, holding the black cat up to look at it. "Sorry about that, kitty. But I need to see if you're the one or not" said Naruto as he checks it's neck.

Sure enough, it had a collar and tag on it and written on the tag was the word "Killer." As Naruto looks the cat over to make sure that it was OK, a thought crosses his mind over its name.

"So Naruto, is that our run away tabby?" asked Kakashi as he appears from around the corner.

Naruto turns around and says "Yup, this is the pretty kitty. I guess he must have gotten hungry and was fishing for some mackerel from a trash can or something." Naruto then brings the cat close to him for a closer look as he says "Weird though, I wonder why his name is Killer?"

Naruto gets his answer as the cat, not liking being so close to Naruto, extends his claws and breaks free of Naruto's hold before attacking him in a vicious flurry of claws and hissing. Naruto cries for salvation from Kakashi goes ignored as Kakashi says:

"Naruto, stop playing with Killer; lets hurry and get him back to his owner." Kakashi then turns around and leaves Naruto as Killer continues to rip him apart.

A little while later, the two Konoha ninja stood before a large bodies woman as she hugged Killer close to her chest. The cat seemed to be suffering some form of distress as it tried to escape. And from seeing this, Kakashi had a very good idea why it had ran away to begin with. Not that he was going to say anything, of course.

"Thank you, oh thank you gentlemen for returning my Killer to me" said the woman in a deep voice.

"Not a problem, ma'am. All in a days work for us. Now, about the payment" said Kakashi.

"Oh yes" said the woman as she looked back and nodded to her butler.

The older man walks up and hands a small bag filled with the money agreed upon in the contract to Kakashi who takes it and stuffs it into his vest. "Well then, my lady. If there is nothing else, we shall be going now" asked Kakashi.

"There is one more thing" said the woman as she looks at Naruto. "What happened to the kid? He looks horrible; his face especially."

"Oh, that's nothing to worry about. He...um...had a run in with a little ruffian of a feline before finding Killer" lied Kakashi.

"Oh heavens, I can't believe such a dangerous brute could exist out there. I'm grateful you found my Killer before he ran into that beast" said the woman.

With that, Kakashi and Naruto turned and walked away. Once they had exited the village, Kakashi looks at Naruto and says "You stayed quiet and didn't say anything about it being Killer himself that had done that to you. I'm both surprised and proud, Naruto."

"Well, one look at his owner and I realized why Killer was the way he was, so I can forgive for turning my face into a scratching post. Besides, the pain has already faded. I wonder if it's that demon's power that behind it?" said Naruto.

"It's very likely. One of the advantages of being a Jinchurriki; a demon container, is that you gain any abilities that the demon itself had in life. This includes accelerated healing" said Kakashi.

For a few minutes, there was silence till Naruto ask "Kakashi-sensei, what's the point behind these dumb D-ranked missions. I mean, isn't there a better use of my time than planting crops, painting fences, and hunting run away pets?"

"All Genin have to take these type of missions in the beginning. After all, we all have to start somewhere, right? Though I can assure you of one thing, Naruto" said Kakashi.

Naruto turns and looks at him, asking "What?"

"These D-ranked missions, though boring and appear to lack any real purpose or challenge, are actually good training for you new Genin" said Kakashi.

"Oh come on. You can't be serious, Kakashi-sensei" said Naruto with a laugh.

Kakashi returns his gaze to the road ahead and says "It's all true. Take planting crops for example? By doing that task, which requires hours of intense, back breaking labor, you build up your stamina and endurance. With painting fences and homes, it builds focus and patience due to you needing to do a good job, which takes take and great care. And looking for run away pets, it improves you stealth skills, your tacking skills, and expands your mind with search ideas and intuition."

"Seriously?" said Naruto as he thinks about it. "Hm, I guess you're right. I've never really thought about it before."

Kakashi nods, then says "You'd be surprised what you can gain from the simplest of task. From now on, Naruto. When ever you go on a mission, no matter what kind of mission it is, try to look past the obvious and see if you can find a way to turn any mission into a training exercise."

"Gotcha" said Naruto.

Then Kakashi decided to add "Just don't forget that you have to complete the mission too or else the personal training with become worthless."

Naruto nods as the two of them make their way back home.

**(Konoha)**

"Good work you two on another successful mission" said Sarutobi after hearing Kakashi's report.

'Thank you sir" replied Kakashi.

Sarutobi then looks at Naruto and ask "Well Naruto, how are you doing?"

"Just fine, old man. I've learned some new techniques from Kakashi-sensei and the mission have been easy for the most part. But the truth is that I wish we could get something a bit more challenging" said Naruto.

"You mean, like a C-ranked mission?" asked Sarutobi.

"Yeah" replied Naruto with a nod.

Kakashi sighs before saying "Naruto, we talked about this before. We won't be asking for higher tier missions till we have been master and student for at least six months."

"Yeah, I know that sensei, I really do. But I feel like I'm chaffing under these simple as hell missions. I know it's still to soon, but I wouldn't mind having something that would be at least a little challenging for once" said Naruto.

Sarutobi thinks about it before saying "Well, I guess I could give you a C-ranked mission; if you don't have a problem with that, Kakashi?"

Kakashi thinks about it for a moment, then says "I guess it will be alright. Maybe taking a C-ranked mission well calm Naruto down a little and make doing the D-ranks more acceptable for a time afterwords."

_'Don't count on it'_ chimed Naruto mentally.

"Very well then, come by in the morning and I'll see what I can do" instructed Sarutobi.

With that, Naruto and Kakashi bow before leaving the room. Once he was alone, Sarutobi pulls out a small box filled with listing of C-ranked missions and thumbs through them. He finally picks one and thinks _"This should be a good one to have them do, though I doubt Naruto will like it all that well.'_

**(the next morning)**

Naruto and Kakashi were standing before the Hokage once again, awaiting the information on this C-ranked mission that he was giving them.

"Alright Naruto, since you asked for a C-ranked mission, I'll give it to you now" said Sarutobi.

After a quick pause, Sarutobi says "This mission is a simple escort and guard mission that will likely take about three weeks to complete."

"Three weeks, seriously?" asked Naruto.

"That is correct" replied Sarutobi.

"Then I'm guessing the guard part pertains more than just the escorting itself" said Kakashi.

"Again, correct" said Sarutobi before handing the paper in his hand to Kakashi, who starts to read over it. "Basically, you two will be going to the village of Kozuta where the client will be waiting to meet up with you at the local inn. This man is named Tazuna and he hails from the Land of Wave which is located on an island close to the eastern ocean borders of Senai. He is involved in a construction project to build a bridge that connects Wave with the main land."

Kakashi looks up from the paper and says "According to this, he will also require us to seal the materials he bought for the bridge project into a scroll for transport."

"Correct. And according to the shinobi who who met with Tazuna and got the details about the mission, he also would like for the team sent to remain in Wave for the next few weeks and do guard duty on the bridge project till it's completed in about three weeks" said Sarutobi.

"Well that doesn't sound all that exciting. But hey, it beats chasing cats and getting covered in paint" said Naruto.

Sarutobi nods before saying "Well then, I take it you two accept this mission?"

"Kakashi nods, then says "Yes, lord Hokage. We shall accept it."

"Very well. Once you two have prepared for this mission, leave at once as I'm sure Tazuna is getting impatient with the waiting, seeing as the meeting also indicated that he isn't the patient type."

Naruto and Kakashi bow again before exiting the room to prepare for the mission.

**(Kozuta Village-two hours later)**

As they entered the gates, Naruto observed that this was a much larger village than Konoha was. Kakashi notices Naruto's curiosity and says "I see you've noticed that Kozuta is a little different than our own village."

"That's putting it mildly" says Naruto before asking "So, why is this village so big, sensei?"

"Well, Kozuta is a village that deals in the creation of any and all materials needed for construction work. Timber, brick, mortar, and anything else you can think of that comes from the building of anything, you will likely find it in a village like this" said Kakashi.

"Then I guess the reason he came here was to get the materials he needed to finish his bridge project?" asked Naruto.

'That's about right. Come on, lets hurry and find our client so we can get this mission started" said Kakashi as they made their way deeper into the village.

After a few minutes and a moment to ask directions from a local, the two ninja finally arrived at the spot they were told their client would be waiting at. As they enter the building, they see that there was already a decent amount of people already inside engaging in various activities.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. Can I help you with something?" asked a man behind the counter.

"Yes sir. We're here looking for a man named Tazuna. We were hired by him to help escort him back to his home and we were told that he would be here waiting for us" replied Kakashi.

"Huh? Oh, you are the ninja he's been waiting for. Just a second" said the man before turning away and looking out among the gathered crowd and shouts "Hey Tazuna, your body guards are here."

After a second of silence, they hear "Shaddup, there's no need to shout like a banshee. I can hear your quiet voice just fine."

And then the owner of the voice stands up and sluggishly stumbles forward towards the awaiting ninja. The owner looks back and says "You might want to stay close to him for a while. The old fart is extremely crocked."

"I heard that, ya damn idiot. I'm not crocked; I can hold my liquor as well as any man can" replies Tazuna as he stands, sort of, before Naruto and Kakashi.

He had dusty and worn looking white pants that had some stitch work done on them, a tanned sleeveless shirt that looked at old as it's owner, and gray hair that looked like it had receded a little in the front, glasses, and a belt filled with tools and whiskey flask.

"So, you must be the guys sent to help me?" said Tazuna as his head rocks a little back and forth.

"That's right, sir. My name is Kakashi Hatake and this is my student, Naruto Uzumaki."

Tazuna leans in a little and looks at Kakashi before saying "Are you sure your the ones sent to help me? No offense, kid. But you look to be a little on the lazy side to me."

Tazuna then looks at Naruto and studies him before saying "Damn, why did they send a baby to help me too. Is it because I was cheep on the money to afford decent body guards?"

"Yeah, like working for a smelly, drunken bum is my idea of a good time" said Naruto as he waved his hand in front of him to air the smell of alcohol away.

"You little brat, I should..." says Tazuna before Kakashi breaks in.

"Sorry about that, sir. I know we aren't what you may have expected. But we are what you got. So what do you say we get this started?" asked Kakashi.

Tazuna looks at him, then thinks about it before saying "Well, I guess it would take to long for you guys to return home and a better team to be sent to replace you. Fine, I'll use you two then. Follow me and we'll go pick up my stuff."

"Hold on a second, sir. Before we leave, would you mind eating this?" asked Kakashi as he presents a small pill to Tazuna.

The older man looks at it suspiciously before asking "And just what is that?"

"Something that will make it easier for you to walk straight. I noticed you had trouble maintaining balance as you walked over" said Kakashi.

"Oh really? Well thank you my good man" said Tazuna before taking the pill and consuming it.

"Hey sensei?" asked Naruto, making Kakashi bend down to hear Naruto better.

"Do we really have to accept this guy being rude to us? Shouldn't the clients give us the same curtsey that they expect us to give them?" whispered Naruto.

"Perhaps, but you'll find that niceties are few and far between. In times like these, just smile and do your best to be the nice guy" replied Kakashi.

Just as Kakashi stands back up, Tazuna's whole body goes rigid before he falls forward and being caught by Kakashi, who goes to support Tazuna with his arms.

"Kami damn it, my head...What the hell did you do to me?" demands Tazuna.

"Just a little something to help you sober up quickly, sir. After all, it doesn't do well to have our client be drunk, which could lead to mistakes being made on the part of the client" replied Kakashi as he took Tazuna outside and Naruto following behind trying his best to suppress a laugh.

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them were standing outside a large warehouse. Tazuna's headache, though still pretty powerful, had lessened a little and he could now walk on his own without any help. But he said that this was come out of their payment.

"My stuff is in here" said Tazuna as he pulls out a key and uses it to unlock the massive set of doors. Once the lock was off, both Naruto and Kakashi grab onto the two sliding doors and open up the large ware house.

Once they had stepped inside, Naruto's eyes go wide as he says "Holy...that's a lot of stuff."

There was a large number of wooden beams and bags of concrete and metal support frames all laying around. To Naruto, it looked like there was enough here to build a small village with.

"So, these are the materials you came to Senai to get and need me to seal into scrolls for the trip?" asked Kakashi.

"That's right" replied Tazuna. "Will this full load be a problem or something?"

Kakashi walks through the warehouse before saying "I think I have enough empty scrolls to seal all of this within, though I might need to be a little creative. Either way, this is gonna take me an hour or so to seal it all."

"Oh come on. Does stuff like this really take that much time?" asked Tazuna.

"Sorry about this, sir. But sealing objects into scrolls isn't exactly easy. You have to focus and take great care in order to make sure that items are sealed correctly so they won't be damaged when unsealed. And bigger objects like some of the materials here also need time to do correctly" said Kakashi.

"Alright, here's the key to the warehouse. When your done, please lock it up and return the key to the man in the building we passed by a few minutes ago. I'll be going back to our meeting place to pass the time while I wait for you to finish" said Tazuna as he gives Kakashi the key, then turns to leave.

"Very well. Naruto, go with Tazuna and keep him out of trouble" said Kakashi.

"OK" said Naruto, who didn't sound to happy about this job.

"Hey, why are you asking the kid to babysit me? Shouldn't he stay here and help you get this all done?" asked Tazuna.

"He can't, Mr. Tazuna. Naruto's training hasn't gotten to the point where he would be able to seal objects into scrolls. Especially some of the objects in here" said Kakashi.

Tazuna sighs, then says "Damn; alright kid, just don't talk to me, OK?"

"Oh don't worry, I won't even act like I know you or that I'm even with you" replied Naruto.

As the two of them leave, Kakashi turns back to the massive work ahead of him and sighs. _'Mental note, as soon as this mission is over, make training Naruto in sealing objects into scrolls a high priority.'_

After an hour had passed, Kakashi finally arrived back at the small tavern and found Naruto and Tazuna waiting for him. Kakashi noted that Tazuna wasn't drunk again and asked Naruto what he had done to stop him from getting drunk again.

"Oh, that was easy, sensei. I just told him you'd force feed him another one of those pills so you wouldn't have to carry his butt back to Wave. He wisely chose to restrict himself to coffee instead."

"Good work, Naruto" said Kakashi before mentally adding _'Very good work.'_

"Sensei, are you OK? You look a little tired" asked Naruto.

Kakashi waves him off and replies "I'll be fine. It's just doing all that sealing has taken its toll on both me and my chakra. I'll be fine in about a day or so."

"Hey you two, lets hurry it up. We have a three day walk ahead of us I we've wasted enough time already" shouts/complains Tazuna from ahead of them.

"Shut up, ya old fart" grumbles Naruto in a low voice so as not to be heard by Tazuna as he and Kakashi speed up their movement to catch up with the old man.

_'I guess being Naruto's sensei really is rubbing off on me. I actually agree with him for once' _mentally thinks Kakashi.

As they exit the village, none of them notice a pair of eyes watching their movement very carefully. "So, when do we make our move?" asked the smaller of the two.

"Let's let them get about ten miles out. It'll be at a good spot to ambush and kill the old man" said the taller one.

"What about the ninja? Can we kill them too?" asked the smaller man.

"If we have no other choice. After all, we were told to avoid killing them unless we needed to in order to kill Tazuna due to the danger that Konoha will send a team to investigate which could cause unwanted trouble for the boss" said the taller man.

The two then get up and exit the village themselves, but take a separate route as they make their way to the ambush spot.

**Next time: Blades from the earth...the gathering mist**


	31. 6 Break the Wave 2

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.6: Break the Wave 2**

So far, this C-ranked mission hadn't been living up to Naruto's expectations for it. Granted, he knew it wouldn't offer the life or death struggles and severe challenge that would come with B-ranked and A-ranked missions. But so far, this C-ranked mission didn't feel any different than your typical D-ranked mission. It just was going to take a little longer than a few hours to complete.

Though in truth, he could probably be more tolerant of this mission mentally if it wasn't for their client, who had spent the last two hours since setting out either drinking his "hard stuff", as Tazuna called it, and nitpicking over every little detail.

It was times like this that Naruto wished he had Kakashi's level of patience.

Kakashi, trying his best to ignore Tazuna's latest rant while wondering how he had been when he had actually came to Senai to begin with, takes a moment to look at Naruto and is still surprised the Naruto had, at least so far, had kept his temper in check and had remained quiet. Truth be told, he had expected Naruto to blow his top by now and say something rather offensive by now.

"And you know what the problem is with you youngsters? Well, I'll tell you. It's respect; you don't respect your elders like you should" said Tazuna in his drunken rant.

And then, Tazuna brings his hand up and, either intentional or accidental, smacks Naruto on the back of his head. Kakashi stops a split second after Naruto and thinks _'Naruto, be the better man...er, kid and just ignore him.'_

Naruto looks at Kakashi and sees what he's thinking written all over his face before saying "Sensei, here's a thought..." before turning around and walking up to Tazuna.

"Naruto..." warned Kakashi, afraid Naruto was going to say and/or do something really stupid.

Tazuna sees Naruto standing before him, giving him a strong glare that makes him scoff a little before he leans forward to become eye level with Naruto and says "What? You gotta problem, kid?"

Naruto just smiles before saying "Actually, I do have a little problem. But it's one that is luckily rectified, old boozer."

And then, Naruto grabs Tazuna's drink flask from his hand and before Tazuna can move to try and take it back, Naruto moves away quickly and tips the flask over and lets the remainder of what was within spill out.

"Hey...hey HEY" shouts Tazuna as he tries to stop Naruto. But Naruto dodges around him and, using his ninja skills, takes the other flask and bottles of booze on Tazuna and also empties them onto the ground. Once he was done, Naruto tosses them all back at Tazuna.

The older man, his eyes wide with shock, quickly tilts each and every one over his open mouth, desperate to taste even a drop of his drink on his tongue, but gets noting from the attempts.

Now angry, Tazuna throws them onto the ground before storming over to confront Naruto. "You damn brat, do you have any idea what you just did? All that fine drink cost me a pretty penny and you just wasted both it and my money. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Naruto's response is to stick a finger out and presses it against Tazuna's nose, then says "For such and old and wise man, you seem to forget a simple rule of thumb. You should never drink in front of minors and act like a lush as it sets a bad example for the younger generation and makes the older look foolish."

"What? Why you cheeky..." Tazuna starts to say, but Naruto simple turns around and says...

"What's wrong, gramps? Shocked the a kid is wiser and more mature than you?" asked Naruto.

Tazuna looks away and grumbles something to himself, but doesn't directly continue his ranting. Kakashi sighs again before they continue forward with Naruto falling into step beside him and Tazuna just a few steps behind them.

"Naruto, while I applaud your actions to some degree. Don't you think you could have been a little more understanding and just let it slide?" asked Kakashi.

"I could have, but then where would the fun be in that?" asked Naruto.

After a moments pause, Kakashi says in a quieter voice "Well, one good thing did come from that intervention."

"Insuring we'll have a less drunken rant session from the client for the duration of the trip...well,once he sobers up that it" said Naruto.

"Well, there's that. But I was actually referring to detecting the two figures that passed by us" said Kakashi.

Naruto keeps his eyes focused forward as he ask "Trouble?"

"It's a possibility. I noticed that we had some people watching us as we left with Tazuna, just like I had a suspicion that we were being watched from the moment we met up with him" said Kakashi.

"So, is it us or him they're targeting?" asked Naruto.

"If I had to guess, I'd say Tazuna. Though we may also be targeted too just for being with him" said Kakashi.

"OK, so I guess I should ask why some one would want to kill him. Well, besides the fact he's a drunken slob" asked Naruto.

"I have an idea, but it'll have to wait till after we deal with this. When I give the signal, move back and cover Tazuna from the rear while I cover the front" order Kakashi, earning a slight nod from Naruto in response.

A few moments later, they enter a slightly larger opened area and proceed to walk through it. As they move through the area; Tazuna, despite still being drunk, begins to feel uneasy and he also notices that Naruto and Kakashi had become more alert in their stance.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Tazuna.

Just then, the branches of two trees rustle ever so slightly as the two assassin's jump clear of their hiding spots and make their move to kill Tazuna. "Naruto, now" shouts Kakashi as he was already moving to intercept the assassin that was closer to him.

Naruto, jumps back quickly till he was standing on the far side of Tazuna while bringing a kunai out and readies it to fight back. "Hey, what's going on?" shouts a surprised and scared Tazuna.

"Just stay calm, old man. We'll protect you" says Naruto as he prepares to counter the second assassin.

Kakashi pulls out a kunai and chucks it at the first assassin who uses the large metal gauntlet on his right arm to block the attack, then extends his arm outward and fires off a lengthy chain weapon with a arrowhead attached to the front of it.

Kakashi dodges to the right of the chain, then makes several hand signs before unleashing a Fire Ball jutsu at the assassin, who dodges it himself before whipping his extended chain at Kakashi's feet. Seeing this, Kakashi jumps over the chain as it tries to sweep his feet out from under him. But in mid jump, Kakashi sees from the corner of his eye that a second chain is fired off from the metal gauntlet on his left arm, which manages to wrap itself around Kakashi and pinning his arms to his body.

Naruto, meanwhile, finds himself on the defensive as the second assassin lands before him and tries to rush Tazuna. Naruto gets in between the two and uses his kunai to attack while the assassin fights back with a metal claw like glove.

"Why are you attacking us?" asked Naruto as he struggles against the assassin's superior strength.

"We just want to old man, give him to us and you and your master will be spared" was the reply.

"Sorry, not gonna happen" says Naruto before using his free hand to grab a smoke pellet and smashes it into the face of his opponent, making the man shout out from the move as he and Naruto are enveloped in smoke.

"Naruto..." said Kakashi before taking a moment to make a hand sign, then uses his lightning nature chakra to send a quick jolt of electricity pulsing through the chain and into the body of the assassin he was facing as the man was preparing to finish Kakashi with his first chain weapon.

The man howls from pain as his body goes rigid and jerky from the electric pulse. The chain binding Kakashi's limbs go slack and Kakashi pushes them outwards in order to escape. He then grips his kunai hard and makes a rush to strike down his opponent. But the assassin recovers enough to jump clear before Kakashi can land his hit.

"Brother, are you OK?" shouts the first assassin.

The second assassin burst clear of the dissipating smoke with Naruto only a moment behind him, saying "Yeah, damn brat thinks he's clever."

"Then lets show them how clever we can be. Use Chain Storm" instructed the first assassin.

The second nods as he lands on the ground, then makes a hand sign before placing both hand on the ground while the first assassin also does this. A sudden crunching sound is heard as they send their chain weapons burrowing into the ground.

Not liking this, Kakashi shouts "Naruto, finish this before they can attack."

"On it" said Naruto as he moves to attack his target, who doesn't move as Naruto closes in.

Just as Naruto gets to him, a chain burst clear from the ground, forcing him to jump back for safety. Kakashi finds himself being stopped by two chains that force him to take a step back before two more chains burst out behind him followed by two additional chains. The chains then curve around in mid air and come racing back down at him. Kakashi does his best to avoid being hit, but realizes that he was trapped as, though he manages to avoid being pierced by the six chains, they come down at such a close point to one another that he finds himself caged in between them.

Naruto back flips away as more and more chains come bursting out from the ground, making him wonder just how many there actually were. But during one flip, he sees one chain curve around and make a move to hit Tazuna, who was to busy watching Naruto and Kakashi to notice that he himself was in danger.

"Old man, above you" shouts Naruto as he does a spin in mid-flip so he can land facing forward and able to run to Tazuna.

The old man looks up, his eyes wide with shock as he sees a flash of metal coming right at him. But then, he feels himself being pushed as Naruto rams into him and punches him clear to safety, before Naruto himself is ran through his chest by the chain that was aimed at Tazuna.

Naruto gurgles out a cry of pain as he coughs up blood before his body goes limp. "Naruto" screams Kakashi while Tazuna falls onto his butt, thinking _'Kid...no...'_

Kakashi turns his gaze back to the first assassin, his gaze having gone deathly cold, as he says "You'll pay for that."

"Not when you'll be joining him now" said the assassin before he directs one chain to extend more to finish Kakashi off. But then, the ground behind him erupts as Naruto comes bursting out and stabs his kunai into the mans back. The sudden action causes the attacking chain to swerve out f control and come flying in to pierce it's owners body through the heart.

"Naruto..." said Kakashi in relief, then looks back to see the impaled Naruto burst like an ink bubble, making him realize that it was a shadow clone, not Naruto. Naruto must have created one when he was hidden my the smoke.

"Brother" shouts the second assassin as he charges at Naruto and Kakashi.

"Good work Naruto. I'll deal with this one" says Kakashi as he breaks free of his chain prison, then charges at his opponent, a pulse of chakra coming from his hand before he dodges a chain attack and guts the guy through his chest. Kakashi then hits him with a fire ball jutsu at point blank ranger, killing him instantly. The attack was over.

"Kid, you're still alive...how?" asked Tazuna as he stands up on his shaky legs.

"Well, I am a ninja, after all. We have our ways" said Naruto as he gives the old man a thumbs up.

"Just don't do that again, OK? My heart can stand all this excitement like it could in my younger years" says Tazuna as he breathe a sigh of relief.

"How about you? Are you OK, Mr. Tazuna?" asked Kakashi.

"Yeah, thanks to the both of you. Thanks for protecting me" said Tazuna.

"That's the job we were hired to do" said Kakashi before he becomes serious and adds "Now, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" asked Tazuna.

"I want you to tell me what you chose to not include in your mission request" said Kakashi.

Tazuna's reaction was more than enough to tell Kakashi that his guess was right. "I...I don't know what you're talking about. I included everything..."

"You should know that lying to me is more than enough reason to invalidate the contract. So I will give you one more chance. Tell me what is going on here or me and my student will be returning to our village and you'll have to drag each and every piece of the materials you bought back home by hand."

Naruto, though still not sure what was going on, says "I'd do it if I were you. Kakashi-sensei doesn't joke around with stuff like this."

Tazuna looks like he wanted to keep up the ruse, finally sighs in defeat as he walks over to a large rock and sits atop it. "I'm sorry. I should have been honest from the beginning. But I was afraid of what you would say if you knew the truth."

"And that would be?" asked Kakashi.

"I need more than just help getting back home and the guard work is a little more involved that I had let on" said Tazuna. "But before I speak of it, how did you know I was holding back on the details?"

"The men who attacked us just now" said Kakashi as he looks back at the one Naruto had killed. "They aren't you average road side bandits out to steal some money but trained assassin's who were hired to do a job and that was to kill you and us too if we interfered" said Kakashi.

_'So that's it. Damn, why didn't I realize that too?'_ wondered Naruto.

Kakashi, feeling that Naruto was thinking along these lines,looks at him and says "Remember Naruto, you're still young and new at this. In time, you'll learn to recognize these hidden truths when the happen." Kakashi then looks back at Tazuna and says "I'm waiting."

"Alright. Are either of you familiar with the current situation of the island nation of Wave?" asked Tazuna.

"If memory serves, it is an independent nation that was founded one hundred and eighty years ago and that fishing is the primary way life for you and your people" said Kakashi.

"That's about right. What about a man named Gato?" asked Tazuna.

"His story is a little bit more cloudy. But we have heard that he came to your people, wanting to help make Wave an even greater nation than it already was, thus him coming in and setting up his organization. It is also rumored that Gato may have ties to various underworld syndicates, though no one knows for certain" said Kakashi.

"That is true as well. When Gato first came to us, it was under a banner of friendship and cooperation. He wanted to expand his empire to include the fishing market and knew we were the best. He also told us that a partnership would make Wave an even greater nation than ever before so we accepted his offer and become partners" said Tazuna.

"But I'm guessing it didn't last long" said Kakashi.

"At first, everything was going well. But as time went on, Gato came and added more and more request onto us, like needing to make taxes. He told us that sacrifices in the short term would benifit Wave in the long term, so we accepted with some reluctance. But eventually, Gato's power base and his growing army of mercenaries had grown large enough that he decided he didn't need to keep up his deception any longer" said Tazuna.

"He took control of Wave and enslaved your people" said Kakashi.

Tazuna's hands clench tightly together as he says "Yes, that's right. Since then, living in Wave has become a nightmare for us who call it home. Gato has dug himself in to deep and gathered enough men beside him to keep him safe from any action we take. That's why we need the bridge and why we need you."

"Why?" asked Kakashi.

"The purpose of the bridge, beside connecting Wave to the mainland is so we can engage in other forms of trade besides fishing. Wave does have other resources and we hope we can use the power that the bridge would bring to remove Gato from our land. But Gato knows the bridge is a danger, so he's been trying to destroy it. And that's why we need you" said Tazuna.

Then Tazuna gets up and moves to Kakashi quickly before getting down on his hands and knees and grovels at Kakashi's feet. "Please, you have to kill Gato for us. With him dead, his men will leave as they won't have anyone there to pay for them anymore. You have to help us, help me save my land."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot" said Kakashi, making Tazuna look up at him in surprise.

"But, why...?" asked a shocked Tazuna.

Kakashi sighs before saying "Look, I heard what you said about the current situation with you and your people and I am indeed sorry for you all. But you need to understand that an assassination is a B-ranked mission and due to what you just told me, this would have been classified as an A-ranked due to the added presence of the target having plenty of men to guard and fight for him. I am only one man and my student has only been with me for a month now. We are not qualifies for a mission like this yet, nor will we be for a long time. But tell me, why didn't you simple tell us the truth in your original request?"

"Because I didn't have the money to buy all the materials needed for the bridge project and still have enough to hire you. I know a man who has employed the services of ninja in the past and he helped me figure out what rank I could afford and what was best said to get the highest affordable rank" said Tazuna.

"I see. But I'm afraid that this doesn't change my mind. This mission has been made invalidated by these new facts and now I take my student and return to our village" said Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, wait a moment" said Naruto, drawing his teachers attention to him.

"Look, I know what it is you're saying here and I know that this is how we're suppose to handle these situations. But to be honest, it doesn't sit well with me if we just up and leave this guy and his people hanging" said Naruto.

"Well then, what do you suggest Naruto?" asked Kakashi.

Naruto thinks about it for a moment, then says "Well, we obviously can't help him out by killing Gato or anything. But maybe we could stay and complete the mission he asked us to do; protect the bridge till it is done. After that, they can do whatever it was they were going to do before they needed assassination work done on Gato."

"Kid..." said Tazuna in surprise.

"Are you sure about this, Naruto? If things get hairy from Gato's men, it could get bad for us. Are you sure your ready for this kind of challenge?" asked Kakashi.

"Nothing ventured nothing gained, sensei. The added challenge will just help me make it to my dream of becoming Hokage much easier if I can succeed here" said Naruto.

"Very well then" said Kakashi before looking back at Tazuna and says "I've decided that we shall stick with the original mission and help you protect the bridge until it has been completed. But once that is done, we shall be taking our leave of you, understand?"

"Yes, I understand. And thank you" said Tazuna as he bows low before them.

After that, Kakashi helps Tazuna up and the three of them continue on their way. But after they had left sight of battle, a man who's face is covered mostly in bandages steps out and looks at the remains of he two dead assassin's. Grunting in disgust, he man makes a hand sign before his body dissolves into water and falls to the earth.

Elsewhere, in a darkened room, the same man opens his eyes as the information comes rushing back to him from his dispersed Water Clone. Another figure, who was standing close by with a newly completed mask in hand, looks at him and ask "Did something happen?"

"It would seem the assassin's Gato hired to kill the old man have themselves been killed bu the two ninja hired to protect him" replied the older man.

"Are they strong?" asked the younger figure.

"One is definitely a Jonin ranked ninja. The other is a Genin who is either really skilled or got incredibly lucky" was the reply.

"Then what's the plan?"

The older man smiles as he says "I'll allow them to enter into Wave, then I'll go myself and handle this." The man then grabs hold of his large sword and holds it out before himself and adds "It had been far to long since my Executioner's Blade has tasted the blood of a worthy opponent."

**(the following morning)**

The three travelers were standing along the mist covered beach. It was still early in the morning and they were awaiting the ferryman to finish getting his boat ready to launch. Once he was finished, they would be heading out and crossing the waters over to Wave.

"Hey, old man? Just where is the bridge anyways?" asked Naruto as he tries to peer through the mist.

"Well, the bridge will be making land contact around here, but it hasn't been finished on this side. Right now, the closest we've come is getting the main supports in place. If not for this damn fog, you'd be able to see the main support points coming out of the water." said Tazuna.

"Are the materials you obtained enough to finish the work?" asked Kakashi.

"So long as we don't suffer any significant damages from this point on, then yes. But with Gato, you never know" replied Tazuna.

Just then, a man comes walking up and says "OK gentlemen, I can take you across now."

As they follow him back over to the boat, Kakashi can't help but feel that there was something fowl in the air. _'There's a large amount of chakra in the air here. That means that the thickness of the mist is not natural. We may have enemies awaiting us once we cross over to the other side.'_

As they get on the boat, Kakashi whispers to Naruto "Be on your guard. I think we may have another ambush awaiting us once we get to Wave, if not sooner."

Naruto nods as his reply, then goes onto the alert as they begin their crossing into the island nation of Wave.

**Next time: terror's of the hidden mist**


	32. 7 Break the Wave 3

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.7: Break the Wave 3**

It had been an hour since they had arrived on Wave and had left the ferry behind. According to Tazuna, it would take them another fifteen minutes to make it to the main village on the island. The sound of rumbling in the air reminded them of the ferryman's warning that a storm was said to be coming in from the ocean and it could hit as early as today or within five days if it actually does.

"Strange" said Kakashi as he came to a stop and looked around.

"What's wrong, sensei?" asked Naruto.

"It's the mist. I would think it would have faded a little by now, if not completely" said Kakashi before he looks at Tazuna and ask "Is it normal for mist to remain in the air for this long?"

"No, it isn't. It should have faded a little by now. Instead, I think its only getting deeper. That's definitely not normal, especially with a storm possibly coming in" replied Tazuna.

"Then I guess my suspicion is more valid now" said Kakashi.

"Another attack?" asked Naruto as he pulls a kunai out from his vest.

"Yeah, I had a feeling those assassin's weren't alone. Someone of greater skill was there, watching us closely" said Kakashi as he to pulls a kunai out.

"If that's true, then why didn't he attack us back there?" asked Tazuna.

"Maybe he wanted to wait till we arrived in Wave and lowered our guard a little. Maybe he just didn't like the idea of attacking us when we would have been tired. And it's possible that he was using a clone to watch us, then the clone dispersed to feed him information" said Kakashi.

"Damn sneaky" growls Tazuna as he clenches his fist together.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you think this new enemy may be planning on attacking us through this mist?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah. If my guess is correct, this is the Hidden Mist jutsu. A water based jutsu commonly used by ninja from the hidden village of Kiri. Though use it to make it harder for their enemies to see an attack coming and thus make defending themselves and counter attacking harder" said Kakashi.

"That is correct" came a voice from beyond the mist.

Immediately, Naruto and Kakashi had taken up positions around Tazuna in order to better defend him from attack. "So, you're Kakashi Hatake; the famous copy ninja of Konoha who is rumored to have learn over a thousand jutsu. I was hoping I would have a challenge when I came here, but never could I have imagined that you would be my opponent. This is gonna be fun."

Looking around, they see no sign of the voices owner. "Kakashi-sensei, why do you think a Kiri nin would be after us? Did this Gato guy hire aid from them?" asked Naruto.

"I doubt it. Word is the current Mizukage doesn't accept mission's from people who are known criminals. She has standards that she follows with a strict discipline" was Kakashi's reply.

"I've heard the same thing. Sadly, I can't say much about her as I left during the tenure of the third Mizukage; at the end of the blood purge. But enough idle talk. It's time for you three to die" came the voice before another sound was heard.

A split second later, a wave of water comes rushing out from the mist, aimed right at Naruto, Kakashi, and Tazuna. Kakashi spins around and grabs Tazuna and leaps to safety with him as Naruto also jumps clear in the opposite direction.

Another wave of water comes rushing towards them, this one coming at Naruto who barely has time to react before the wave slams into the tree he had landed on. Though Naruto was able to jump clear, the blast of the water throws him off and his landing doesn't go as well as he wanted as he's sent rolling after hitting and stumbling on the ground.

"Naruto" shouts Kakashi.

"I'm all right" replies Naruto as he picks himself up quickly, then jumps into a close by tree before shouting out. "Hey, why don't you show yourself and face us directly, you coward."

The unseen attacker simply laughs before saying "You know, you're right kid. Killing you like this, though offers less risk to myself, isn't any real fun. Besides, I prefer to see the life drain from my victims up close as I use my sword to end their life."

Seconds later, an impact sound is heard on the ground followed by the sound of foot steps. After a moment, the attacker finally becomes visible enough for Naruto and Kakashi to see him. He had a rather muscular build, his exposed flesh covered with scars from previous battles. He was as tall as Kakashi and had dark colored hair. His face was wrapped in bandages except for his eyes, which had an animalistic, almost shark like quality to them. And strapped on his back was a massive sword that the man had held of with one hand.

_'Now I see' _ said Kakashi as he recognized the person before them from the bingo book of dangerous renegades that had bounty's on their heads.

"Tazuna, stay here. You should be safe so long as I don't get careless and die" said Kakashi before leaping down from the tree to confront the attacker. "Naruto, stay with Tazuna and make sure he stays safe. I'll handle this."

"Right" said Naruto before leaping over to stand by Tazuna's side.

"So, I take it you know my profile?" asked the attacker.

"Yeah. You're Zabuza Momochi, a former Jonin of Kiri. More than that, you were part of a special group known as the Seven Swordsman; a group famed for their power and deadly skills" replied Kakashi.

"Correct; and the sword I have is one of the seven blades used by those of our station. This is the Executioner's Blade" said Zabuza/

_'I see, so this is gonna be even harder than I first thought. If I'm not careful here, he'll kill me with little trouble' _thinks Kakashi before asking "Tell me, why are you working for Gato? Even a former shinobi turned mercenary should have more pride in themselves to stoop so low to work with a criminal."

"I can not deny that and I do admit that working for him is not a high mark on my career. But this jobs is a means to an end and in order to achieve my goals, I am willing to make sacrifices" said Zabuza.

"And may I ask what it is that's so important that you would work for Gato?" asked Kakashi.

"I don't think such a question will matter when you're about to die" says Zabuza as he draws his blade and charges at Kakashi, planning on going for a killing blow in the first attack.

Kakashi also charges in and somehow manages to use his smaller kunai to block the massive broad sword wielded by Zabuza. But Zabuza's superior strength is easily able to push Kakashi back and Zabuza adds to this growing advantage by using his free hand to create another Wave Spear jutsu attack.

Kakashi can only brace himself as the attack slams into him at point blank range, sending him flying back. The power in the water is intense and Kakashi could feel it cutting into his skin, but he is able to shift his body just enough so that he is able to fall free of the attack just before he would have been slammed into a tree.

As Kakashi recovers, Zabuza brings his sword around as he charges at Kakashi again. This time, Kakashi uses a Fire Ball jutsu and fires it off at Zabuza. The former Kiri nin swirls around the attack only to find Kakashi had predicted his movement as he sends his kunai cutting into Zabuza's shoulder. Then, Kakashi sends a burst of lightning chakra shooting through his kunai, into Zabuza's body, which blows him back and sends his sword flying from his hands.

As Zabuza recovers from the stunning effects of the attack, Kakashi moves in and grabs hold of the Executioner's Blade himself, then charges at Zabuza with the intent of killing him with his own sword. Kakashi's quicker speed allows him to get to Zabuza just as he returns to his feet and starts to swing the weapon as quickly as he could while Zabuza easily dodges back and forth.

Kakashi curses the heaviness of the sword as it was slowing him down just enough to keep him from being able to make a damaging blow on Kakashi. As he tries his luck with a forward thrust, Zabuza ducks down beneath it before gripping hold of his swords blunted side. He then does a spin around to stand atop the blade before kicking Kakashi hard in the face, that causes him to lose his hold on the sword as he falls back while Zabuza grips hold of the hilt as he flips over to stand upon the ground again.

"Not so easy to wield this sword, is it?" asked Zabuza.

Kakashi just glares at him as he goes through his options of what jutsu he could use here. Zabuza then rushes forward before leaping into the air and doing a spin as he goes to cleave Kakashi in half.

Finally deciding on a jutsu to use, Kakashi back flips away before he can be cut in half and as he comes down to land, he makes a rapid series of hand signs before pressing his hands against the ground, saying "Earth style: Great Mud Land."

Zabuza was already moving at him, but suddenly finds his movements impaired as his feet sink into the earth. Growling in anger as he is forced to put some effort into trying to free himself, Kakashi comes running in and comes in as close as he releases another flame jutsu at point blank range.

The flash of metal catches Kakashi's eye as he jumps back, but not in time to save himself from being hit by the blade along his chest. Luckily, he had been far enough back to avoid anything fatal, but the cut was still good enough to both cause great pain and to make plenty of blood flow from the wound.

"Damn, you really are an annoying pest to kill" said Zabuza as he walks clear of the flames. Making a hand sign, a small stream of water shoots up from the ground to splash against the upper part of his body to put out the fire.

When the fire was out and the smoke was fading, Kakashi could see parts of Zabuza's face, which was now burnt to some degree. But, like Kakashi, he was pushing away the pain he was feeling and keeping his focus in the moment.

"Damn, these guy's are insane" said Zabuza in awe of what he was seeing.

"This is a true battle between master ninja" said Naruto, who was focusing on the battle as it was teaching him a lot of important things.

"Do you think Kakashi can beat him?" asked Zabuza.

Naruto doesn't respond with words, but he does think _'I hope so.'_

Meanwhile, Kakashi finds his breathing a little labored as he thinks _"Zabuza; he's really living up to his reputation as one of the Seven Swordsman. I don't know about him, but my chakra is already starting to wain a little. If I don't finish this quickly, then it really will be the end.'_

Zabuza himself wasn't in the best of shape. That point blank range fire attack hid hurt him more than he was letting on. Besides, maintaining this mist jutsu cost a lot more chakra than many people realized. So, he decided that he should go for something big and hope that it would take Kakashi down or at least weaken him enough to allow him to administer a finishing blow.

Breaking into a long series of hand signs, he builds up his chakra before saying "You have been a great challenge for me, Kakashi Hatake. Now, let's see how well you can handle this jutsu. Water style: Torrent Sphere."

With his hand signs complete, Zabuza smacks his hand together and immediately, all the water molecules in the air that were making up the mist and the water beneath the ground started to seep out and float into the sky, forming into a ever growing sphere of water.

Focusing even harder, Zabuza's jutsu's area of effect extends far enough out to reach the ocean as water from it also rises out and comes flying in to add to the giant sphere of water. After a few more moments, the sphere had grown to be around thirty feet all around in its size.

_'Damn, just what is he planning?' _thinks Kakashi as a sudden rush of pain from his chest keeps him from making a move to attack or stop Zabuza.

"Now, for the second part" said Zabuza before making another set of hand signs.

Kakashi recognizes these hand signs and realizes that Zabuza was shifting the water's temperature in order to make it as hot as possible. Signs of the water boiling within the sphere as well as steam rising from the top confirms what was going on.

"And now, the third part" shouts Zabuza as he makes another set of hand signs, these causing four water dragons to grow out from the sphere, which shrinks a little as the dragons grow in length.

By now, Kakashi knew what it was Zabuza was about to do and he realized that he had only one option that could possible save him. "Kakashi Hatake, it has been an honor to fight you. But now, you must die as well as your student and the old man. "Water style: Four Boiling Dragons Rush."

The sphere of water burst, making the four water dragons move through the air for a second before all four of them come falling right at Kakashi, who moves to use his trump cared. Within seconds, the four dragons converge and collide onto Kakashi's location, creating an explosive blast of super heated steam and, from the looks of it, Kakashi hadn't made a move to save himself.

"Sensei?" shouts Naruto.

Zabuza looks at him and says "Sorry kid, but if he did survive that somehow, his body will no longer be in any condition to do anything. After all, being hit with water that's over a thousand degrees at impact can be agonizingly painful. Now, you and the old man can..."

Zabuza's words our cut off as he hears the crackling of electricity in the air. He spins around to look at where Kakashi had been just int time to see a blur come rushing out from the steam and then next thing he knows, his stomach had been pierced by Kakashi's hand.

Zabuza coughs up blood as he manages to look at Kakashi and says "How...how did you survive?"

And then, Kakashi looks up and shows Zabuza his blood rest face and Zabuza is able to see what had happened. Kakashi's left eye, which had kept covered, was now exposed and revealed an eye with red irises and three comma marks circling around the pupil.

"Sharingan? I...didn't know...you were a...Uchiha" says Zabuza.

"I'm not" said Kakashi as his breathing became more and more raspy sounding. "This eye belonged to...my friend and greatest inspiration."

"But how did...you survive well enough to avoid being even...more injured?" asked Zabuza.

"A powerful lightning style jutsu...vaporized the water before it...could hit me. But the water vapor...was still hit enough to do some serious damage" replied Kakashi before he pulls his hand clear of Zabuza' gut.

Zabuza chuckle, then says "I see. You truly are...the son of White Fang, who could do anything no matter the odds against him."

Zabuza then collapses onto the ground while Kakashi stays standing long enough to say "No, not everything..." before he also collapses down beside Zabuza.

"Kakashi-sensei..." shouts Naruto as he jumps down from the tree and rushes over to his fallen sensei.

Tazuna follows as best he could. But not being a ninja meant it took him a bit more time and a few close calls before he was safely on the ground again. "Hey kid, is he OK?" asked Zabuza.

"He's still alive, but he needs a doctor" said Naruto as he was already lifting Kakashi up onto his shoulders, which would have been a funny sight, seeing a boy doing this with a man who was nearly twice his size, if the situation wasn't so serious.

"Follow me; we'll get him to the best doctor in the village" said Tazuna who broke off into a run that was surprising to see for a man of his age. Naruto was following right behind as best he could.

Once they had faded from sight, a new arrival comes walking up beside Zabuza and kneels down while saying "You got careless here, Zabuza. Is it a sign of old age, I wonder?"

Zabuza's eyes open just slightly as he says "Shut up..."

The masked figure simply laughs before saying "Well, I guess we'll get you back and have Gato's private doctor take a look at you. Then I can have some more fun at your experience."

The masked person then picks Zabuza up and heads off back to Gato's mansion.

**(one hour later)**

Naruto and Tazuna waited patiently in the waiting room while the doctor and his staff did there thing with Kakashi. But after what felt like forever, the doctor finally enters into the room, leading Naruto and Tazuna to get up and move over to him quickly.

"How's Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto.

"He'll be fine, though I must admit that he is one lucky sonuva dog. I'm just glad I know a few medical ninja techniques that helped me with the healing process. Otherwise, he'd likely be sporting a mummy look for the rest of his life" said the doctor.

"So he isn't going to suffer any permanent scarring?" asked Tazuna.

"Well, other than the fact he's gonna have extra sensitive skin where he was burned for a while, no. But he is gonna need a few days to rest and recover. So I'm gonna need him to stay bed written for the time being. Not that my nurses seem to mind though. Damn girls seemed to have fallen for the guy."

Naruto sighs in relief before saying "That's good to hear."

"If you want, you can go in and see him. Also, he was asking for you. But keep it breathe since sleep is what he needs most right now. After all, that chest wound I had to close up was a rather nasty little beast too" said the doctor before turning and showing them to Kakashi's room.

Once they were in the room, Naruto says "So, how are you feeling, sensei?"

"I've suffered worse injuries in my career. I just can't see to remember when, though" said Kakashi.

"Well, I'm just glad you didn't get yourself killed" said Tazuna.

"As I am" said Kakashi before becoming serious. "Naruto, until the doctor OK's it, I'm gonna need you to watch over Tazuna and his bridge project. Do you thin you'll be OK?" asked Kakashi.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. After all, I do have my Shadow Clones to act as a back up if need be" replied Naruto.

"At least you got that assassin taken care of" said Tazuna.

"Actually, I doubt that he is dead" said Kakashi.

"What, you think he's still alive?" asked Naruto.

"It's not impossible. I was aiming for his heart, but got his stomach instead. And a ninja of his caliber can survive such an injury if he receives medical help quickly enough. So there's a chance we'll see him again. And next time Naruto, I'm gonna need your help in order to beat him" said Kakashi.

"But what can I do?" asked Naruto.

"For now, use your free time to train with your Shadow Clones. If it truly comes down to me needing you to back me up, then your clones with be needed to achieve victory" said Kakashi.

As Naruto nods, Tazuna ask "Kakashi, I know your not in the best of shape, but do you think you can unseal my materials from the scrolls?"

"Naruto can do it. After all, unsealing is easier to do than sealing" said Kakashi before looking at Naruto and says "Pay close attention, Naruto. This is what you have to do in order to unseal the contents of the scroll."

**next time: something precious...the compound**


	33. 8 Break the Wave 4

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.8: Break the Wave 4**

It was still early morning, but the two scouts sent by Gato to see what was happening with the bridge project were already wide awake and moving swiftly through the dense island forest. Their orders were simple, if any work was going on, the sabotage as much as they could.

"Do you think that old fool has finally wizened up and stopped this little project of his?" asked the first man.

"I doubt it. At that age, they don't stop to worry about what could happen to them" said the other.

After another moment, they had arrived at a small hill the overlooked the bridge. "Now, let's see what Mr. Tazuna and his men are...what the hell?" said the second man.

What they saw before them was that the construction work was indeed still going on, if not at even faster pace than before. But that wasn't what had shocked them. Instead, what they had seen that had taken them by surprise was how many figures were scattered along the bridge that were dressed in ninja garments.

"Holy hell, just how many shinobi did that old bastard hire?" asked the first man in shock.

The second quickly counted as many as his eyes could see before saying "I can see at least forty seven,; some one guard duty and some who are actually helping carry stuff around. And I have a feeling that there's even more beyond the morning mist that I can't see."

"The boss isn't going to like this, that's for sure" said the first as he looks at his partner.

"No kidding. Come on, we better head back and tell him as soon as possible" said the second as he turns away and starts to walk away.

"Wait, what about our assignment? Weren't we suppose to sabotage the construction to keep them behind schedule?" asked the first man.

The second looks at him and says "You wanna go back there and possibly face the ire of an army of ninja? Then be my guess. Me personally, I'd rather take my chances with the bosses ire for once."

Back at the bridge, Tazuna emerges from the small building that was used as his office and as a store room for the plans and other smaller materials. He smiles as he see his project not only progressing forward again, but at an even faster pace than it ever has been.

He then notices Naruto looking over at a distant ledge and ask "What's wrong, kid? See something?"

"Yeah; I just managed to catch sight of two guys. I think they might have been sent by that Gato person to look at what was happening here and possibly to do some damage if they could" said Naruto.

"Do you think they'll still try something?" asked a worried Tazuna.

Naruto smiles before saying "I doubt it. After all, two men against a small army of ninja; I doubt anyone would be that suicidal."

"Good point" said Tazuna as he looks around. He then leans in close and whispers to Naruto "I have to admit, this Shadow Clone jutsu is really handy to have."

"That and the transformation jutsu. Create enough clones and have them transform and you can make people believe what ever you want them to" said Naruto in response.

"But won't this wear you out? Creating this many and having some of them actually helping us out must be tiring on you" said Tazuna.

"Not as much as you'd think it would. I've always had above average stamina and endurance, so doing this is easy for me. Besides, all of this is good training too" said Naruto.

"Seriously?" asked Tazuna.

"Yeah, it's like Kakashi-sensei said. Any and all activities can be used as training yourself. You just have to look past what's obvious and see the hidden truths beneath, or something like that" said Naruto.

'Well, either way I thank you. If we can keep this momentum up and don't get any unwanted trouble. Then we'll be done here sooner than I had expected" said Tazuna.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" asked Naruto.

"What is it?" asked Tazuna.

"When the bridge is done, how will it help you regain control of your land from Gato? Won't he simply try to destroy the bridge before it can do its duty?" asked Naruto.

"What you say is true, but I'll let you in on a secret. We, the citizens of Wave have already made trade agreements with both the Feudal Lords that preside over Senai and Keishu. Now these trade agreements don't take effect until the bridge is completed. But once it's done, any action Gato takes will result in actions being taken by both powers to remove him" said Tazuna.

"But if that's true, then why is Gato still trying to destroy the bridge now?" asked Naruto.

"Because the trade deal will only come into effect AFTER the bridge is done. Until then, we are still on our own. Also, I think Gato has also made deals with them that will be in danger should the bridge be built; hence his need to destroy it" said Tazuna.

Naruto nods, then says "I see. And after hearing that, I'm amazed the bridge has made it this far."

"Me too" said Tazuna before turning around and walking off to check on his men.

**(Gato's estate)**

Gato, once you've actually seen him, didn't appear to be a dangerous man. Quite the opposite; he was short, only 4'3 in height, and he was a real fatty. Truth be told, Gato didn't look like he had worked an honest day in his life. But he was powerful none the less and his men were loyal to him so long as he paid them the money they liked.

"Sir, Elo and Zel have returned" as a elderly man dressed in the attire of a butler.

Gato takes a big bite of his morning meal, then says while still chewing "Well don't just stand there, show them in, ya fool."

The butler bows before turning around and leaving the room. A few moments later, he returns with the two men following behind him. "So tell me, did he cry when his precious little bridge project suffered yet another delay?" asked Gato.

"Actually sir, I'm sorry to say we weren't able to do any form of sabotage this time" said Elo, the first man.

"WHAT? Wait, did the old fool finally wise up and stop his work?" asked Gato.

The second man, Zel, replied by saying "No sir, they were still going at it if not at an even faster pace than normal."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? At an even faster pace? Then why didn't you fools do anything then?" screams Gato, his voice sounding like the squeals of a pig.

"Sorry sir, but there were to many ninja guarding the bridge. We would not have been able to do anything before being caught" said Zel.

Gato snorts as he picks up a glass of wine, saying "To many ninja? Just how is two considered to many? Tell me that", the Gato takes long drink from the glass.

Elo hesitates before saying "Actually sir, the number of ninja exceeds fifty."

Gato's reaction to hearing that is to spit out all the wine he had just drank before breaking into a coughing fit. The butler quickly rushes over and pats his master on the back till the coughing fit had finally subsided.

"Exceeds fifty? The number is higher than fifty? But that bastard Zabuza said that there were only two of them with that old fool. Just where did the others come from and how many total?" stammers out Gato.

"We don't know, sir. The morning mist kept me from doing a full count. But I did see near fifty and given how much of the bridge has been completed that I couldn't see, there may be over a hundred" said Zel.

Gato curses under his breath before hopping down from his chair and storming off. "I hope Zabuza has a good explanation for this or he's going to suffer my wrath. You two, follow me...and be ready to kill that man should I order it."

Both Zel and Elo look at each other before following after their boss. Normally, attacking Zabuza would be suicide in their minds. But seeing as he was still recovering from his injuries, maybe they could if the stayed on their toes and were fast. They both just hoped that Zabuza's partner wasn't there as they didn't want to face off with that guy. If anything, he was even scarier than Zabuza, if that was possible.

After walking down a long hall, then turning into another, smaller hall, they came to a stop outside the door the entered in Zabuza's room. Not feeling much like being proper, Gato just reaches up and forces the door open.

Immediately, Zabuza looks his way while Haku, Zabuza's partner just gives them a quick glance before returning to working on the medicine her was cooking up. Gato glares at Zabuza before saying "What is the meaning of this?"

Zabuza just rolls his eyes before saying "What are you on about this time, midget man."

"Don't you dare insult me, you two bit hack. And I'm talking about the ninja Tazuna hired. You said that there were just two, not fifty plus of them" shouts Gato.

Zabuza's eyes widen as he says "More than fifty, huh? Hm, sounds to me like he called in some back up from home. Don't you agree, Haku?"

"Of course, lord Zabuza" replied Haku as he continued to stir the gunk in the bowl.

"You fool. I sent you to do one job; one simple little job. And not only do you come back a failure, but that failure has gotten us a much bigger pile of crap that we'll have to deal with. What am I gonna do now?" shouts Gato.

"Well, you can always order your men to attack them. After all, it would be a two to one fight in your favor" said Zabuza.

"You fool, you know damn well my men can't compete with a ninja. That's why I hired you. Hell, if we hadn't convinced the people of Wave that I had over a thousand men under my command instead of the hundred men I actually have total, they would have risen up in revolt by now" screams Gato.

Zabuza smiles beneath his bandaged face as he looks away and says "Well, I guess it sucks to be you right now."

"Oh no, my injured friend. That honor belongs solely to you" said Gato before snapping his fingers.

Elo and Zel quickly charge forward, drawing their blades as they move to kill Zabuza with one hit. But Haku suddenly appears before them and with a simple move, stops them by taking special needles held between his fingers and presses them against their necks.

"Tell me, do you think you can make any other kind of motion to hurt Zabuza before I strike and kill you?" asked Haku.

Seeing the will to fight drain from their eyes, Haku smiles and says "Good boys."

Though Gato was mad, he also knew that this was a no win situation. So he turns away and says "I'll overlook this mistake this time. But next time, do not fail me or else."

After Gato and his men leave the room, Zabuza snorts as he says "That self righteous fool. Does he really think he can order me around?"

"His ego and pride are bigger than he is" said Haku before returning to his work. "Tell me, Zabuza. Just how much longer are we gonna have to stay working for this monster? I thought men like him were of the kind you detest above all others."

"You're right. And don't worry, we'll deal with Gato soon enough. And once he's dead, we'll take his money and be one step closer to getting our revenge. The only reason we're even working for him now is because I wanted to finder his hidden safe. And thanks to the transformed water clone that's been impersonating his butler, I now know where it it. But before we kill him, I want another crack at Kakashi Hatake" said Zabuza as he laid back on his bed.

"Speaking of him; do you think he's responsible for all these ninja guarding the bridge?" asked Haku.

"I can tell you one thing; none of those ninja are real. It's obviously a Konoha shadow clone jutsu that has also been transformed. But Kakashi shouldn't be able to do that at this time as he was in as bad of shape as I am, if not even worse" said Zabuza.

"What about his genin student?" asked Haku.

"Normally, I would say impossible. But Kakashi is one of the best ninja around and I doubt Konoha would give him anything less than their top student from the academy for him to train. So I guess anything is possible" said Zabuza.

"Well, there is one way for me to find out" said Haku as he finished up and brought the bowl over to Zabuza.

"And how would you do that?" asked Zabuza.

"I have to go out later and gather some new herbs to make more medicine. Seeing as they don't know I even exist, I can seek him out, act like just a random passerby, and talk with him" said Haku.

"Hm, I suppose that would be a good idea. Fine, then I'll let you handle the details" said Zabuza.

"Good. Now open up and swallow it all...and try not to complain about the taste this time" said Haku.

**(later that afternoon)**

With Tazuna's permission, Naruto had taken off to get in some private training in the woods. He wasn't worried about his clones failing while he was gone. He had given them enough chakra to stay active for the full day. So as long as there wasn't an attack on them, they would be fine and no one would be the wiser.

Besides, Naruto wanted to continue his practice on the variations of the Shadow Clone jutsu that he had learned. In fact, during this particular test, an idea had come to mind that had an explosive and successful result. But also as a result of this test, Naruto was now laying on the ground, early unconscious.

_'Damn, I guess I should have been standing further back before testing that idea out. Oh well, what doesn't kill me will only make me stronger...or so they say' _thought Naruto as he thought about catching a little shut eye. After all, he was feeling really comfortable right now.

"Excuse me? Are you OK?" asked a gentle, feminine voice.

"Wha..." shouts Naruto as he bolts into a sitting position, then looks around for the owner of the voice.

After a second, his eyes fall onto what has to be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, dressed in a pink kimono with red flowers patterned on it. Realizing that he was blushing, Naruto quickly looks away from being nervous.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, sir" said the girl as she looked at him.

"You didn't scare me. I just wasn't expecting anyone to be out here now, so don't worry about it" said Naruto.

"Oh, I see. Tell me, what are you doing out here all alone, if you don't mind me asking?" asked the girl.

"Me? Well, I'm a ninja from the hidden village of Konoha and I'm getting in some training while I have time" replied Naruto.

"Oh I see. I didn't know taking a power nap in the forest was considered training for ninja's" said the girl before breaking into a soft laugh.

Naruto turns to look at her and says "I wasn't power napping. I just got careless when testing out an new way to use a certain ninja jutsu I know."

"Really? And just what is this jutsu that you were training with?" asked the girl.

"It's called the Shadow Clone jutsu and with it, I can create fully solid clones of myself that can help me in battle and other labor based task. Um...that's actually suppose to be a secret, so don't tell anyone, OK?" asked Naruto.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed" said the girl while giving Naruto a warm smile.

"What about you? Why are you out here?" asked Naruto.

"Who, me? Oh, I'm just gathering herbs that I can use to make special medicines that can help a friend of mine recover from some injuries he incurred recently" said the girl.

"Oh yeah, I noticed as I was heading over here that some of Wave's natural flora and fauna could be used to make some strong medicine" said Naruto.

"It sounds like you know a thing or two about plants" said Haku.

"Well, I do partake in gardening as a hobby back home. So knowing that much is easy" said Naruto.

"That is true" said the girl. After a moment of silence, the girl ask "Tell me. You said you were training out here before I arrived, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right? Why do you ask?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I was just wondering if there is someone precious to you?"

"Someone precious to me? What do you mean by that?" asked Naruto.

The girl steps forward till she is standing in front of him and then says "When something is important to you: when you have someone you want to protect with all of your heart, you will obtain a power unlike any other."

"To be honest, I'm not sure if I can say yes to that. Wait, I guess Iruka-sensei would qualify as someone precious. Maybe the old man and Kakashi-sensei. Maybe my fellow classmates that I actually talked to; Shikamaru and Ino. I just don't know because I've never really thought about it before" said Naruto.

The girl smiles while placing a hand to Naruto's cheek and says "Even if you don't have a precious person in your life now, I know you will one day. And when that person comes along and when the need is there, you will become strong. Truly strong."

"You think so? I hope your right about that" said Naruto.

"Well, I better be getting back. After all, I need to get to work on these plants before they start to lose their potency" said the girl as she turns and walks away.

"OK. And I hope we see each other again. And by the way, my name is Naruto."

The girl looks back and says "I'm sure we will, and my name is Haku. And just so you know, I'm really a guy who just looks and sounds very feminine."

"Say what?" shouts Naruto, in shock from that unexpected truth.

_'Ah crap, that dude's hotter than Ino and even miss Kurenai-sensei'_ mentally cries Naruto.

**(Gato's office)**

Gato took a big puff from his cigar as he sat back and looked at the three men gathered before him. "Alright you three, you are my best men so I'm counting on you to succeed in the mission I'm about to give you."

The men before him nod, then Gato continues. "As you know, Zabuza has started to become a liability to me. Plus, I have started to here some unsettling rumors about him as well. So I've made a decision that both he and his follower will have to die."

"However, I am aware that he is stronger than any one of you. So, I will allow him to recover and go back to face those Konoha ninja like he wants. Should he survive that battle, then you shall kill him afterwords. The same with his follower if the chance presents itself."

"But before that, I have another mission to give you. Tomorrow morning, I want you to pay a visit to Tazuna's house and bring his daughter and grandson over to visit me. And leave this message there for the old man to read after doing so. I want to see what is more important to him, Wave or his family. After they have been delivered follow after Zabuza and deal with him when the chance comes" order Gato.

His men bow before leaving the room. Gato then looks at his butler and ask "So, are you sure Haku said that Zabuza will be heading out to deal with those ninja tomorrow?"

"Yes sir. And I'm sure master Haku plans on going with him too" said the butler.

"I see. Well, let's just hope that we'll take care of all of our problems by tomorrow night" said Gato.

"And what of Tazuna and his family?" asked the butler.

"He never should have messed with me. I'll let him watch as I kill his family, then I'll take great pleasure in killing him as well" said Gato before breaking into a snort like laugh, not seeing the look of disgust his butler was giving him.

'

**(with Naruto)**

"You're looking better, sensei" said Naruto as he walked into the room he and Kakashi were sharing and saw his sensei doing some stretches off to the side of the room.

"Yeah, that doctor did a good job of fixing me up. So, how has guard duty been going over these last few days?" asked Kakashi.

"So far, so good. There hasn't been any trouble. But to be honest, having a ton of Shadow Clones looking like professional ninja would discourage anyone from trying anything funny" said Naruto.

Kakashi looks at him and smiles as he says "Good thinking. I'm actually impressed with you. But tomorrow, I'll take over watching the bridge so you can sleep in and take a day off. You've earned it."

"Kakashi-sensei, do you think that Zabuza guy will be coming for you?" asked Naruto.

"It's possible so long as he survived his injury" said Kakashi.

"I wonder, maybe we should make a preemptive strike against Gato's base. Deal with this problem head on and just get it over with. I know that we shouldn't interfere with matters beyond the scope of our mission, but..."

"I know, Naruto. Let's go get some food and then, we'll talk more about this with Tazuna. Maybe he can tell us something about Gato's fortress" said Kakashi. Getting a nod from Naruto, they leave the room and head down stairs to join Tazuna and his family for dinner.

**Next time: heroes...bridge battle...break in...Ice style...the Jinchurriki awakens**


	34. 9 Jinchurriki 1

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.9: Jinchurriki 1 (release you ferality)**

After dinner, Naruto had excused himself outside to get some fresh air and to enjoy the sight of the stars in the side. Finding a nice tree close to Tazuna's house that he could rest against, Naruto sits down and leans back to take in the scenic view above him.

"You're both fools" came a voice that made Naruto jump in surprise.

"Who's there? Who said that?" shouts Naruto as he jumps to his feet and grabs hold of a kunai.

"Relax, it's just me" came the voice as its owner came out from hiding in the shadow of the trees.

"Huh? Wait, your old man Tazuna's grand kid. Inari, right?" asked Naruto. Though this wasn't the first time he had seen the kid, this was the first time that they had talked. Inari, since their arrival in Wave, had been silent and had done his best to avoid them as best he could.

"I heard what you said before to your sensei" said Inari, not bothering to answer Naruto's question.

"Heard what I said...? Wait, are you talking about the possibility that we may have to attack Gato's place? Is that why you said we were fools?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, that's right. You both are fools if you think you're a match for that man and his minions" said Inari.

Naruto felt his anger starting to rise, but he simply clenches his fist and forces that anger back down before asking "And why do you say that? Don't you want this nightmare to end; don't you want to see your home free from the oppression that Gato brings and represents?"

"Of course I do. That man...I hate him. I hate his guts like you can't believe. It's because of him that..." Inari shouts out, but then goes quiet before stopping suddenly.

Naruto, feeling that something bad had happened to Inari and that Gato was the cause, simply ask "What did he do?" When Inari doesn't reply at first, Naruto says "Inari, please tell me. If you really want me to understand your point of view, then you need to tell me. Unless...talking about it would be hard for you."

For the first time in a while, Inari feels tears beginning to well up in his eyes and his sniffles before saying "Fine, I'll tell you. But only because knowing this will make you realize that you and your sensei have no chance against Gato. And in that realization, your lives might be saved."

And so, Inari related to him the story of the man he had called father; the man who had been his hero and inspiration. The man who had tried to save Wave from Gato when he had first come and had paid for this act with his life; dying a brutal death before the whole village.

"And that's the reason why everyone apart from grandpa and a few other old timers have given up. Now do you understand, Naruto. Both you and your sensei, if you actually attack Gato's home, will die a meaningless death. So do yourselves a favor and just leave us behind" said Inari.

Naruto looks at Inari with a new sense of understanding before saying "Yeah, I do understand. Thank you for telling me this, Inari. Now I have an even greater reason to go and bring an end to this man's tyranny."

"You fool, didn't you here what I said. If you go, you will die. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Do you want to die?" shouts Inari.

Naruto's response was to walk up to Inari and bends down to look him in the eyes as he puts a hand on his shoulder and says "Of course not. I have big plans for the future and dying would be really vexing."

"Then why?" asked Inari.

"Because, your father was a great man and an inspiration. He loved this land and he especially loved you. And he was willing to do what ever it took to save this land that you lived in, even give his life. If I just ignored Gato and not finish what he started and save this land, or at least try. Then what right do I have to keep living just to pursue my own selfish dreams" said Naruto.

He then stands up and begins walking back to the house before stopping, looking back and adding "And the truth is...I'd rather be dead than to turn my back on those who need help."

Inari just stood there, insure of what to say or what he should be feeling now. Naruto, he had to be the biggest fool Inari had ever met. And yet, as he watched Naruto walk away, he could have sworn that he was looking at the back of his father as he walked proudly and ready to take on the world.

"You know, sometimes Naruto can be a rather reckless kid. Not that I don't agree with him, though" said Kakashi from behind Inari, making the little kid jump in shock.

"Hey, don't do that. I could have had a heart attack" complained Inari.

"Yeah, sorry about that" said Kakashi before saying "I thank you for worrying about us. But don't worry, we'll be alright."

"How can you say that? Don't think I don't know what happened to you when your were bringing my grandpa home. You were nearly killed by one guy. ONE GUY. Gato has hundreds under his command. There's no way you can win" said Inari.

"I do admit that the odds seem against us. But, and I know this may sound strange, but I have a feeling we may get help in doing this attack" said Kakashi.

"Help? From who, from where?" asked Inari.

"Don't worry about it. Just know that we will do what we can. Inari, I know this may be difficult for you to do after the horrors you must have seen and been exposed to. But please, believe in us" asked Kakashi before he to began to walk back to the house.

Inari watches him walk off, then thinks _'Can I do that? Can I really have faith in them?'_

As Kakashi walks into the house, he remembers Inari's last question and thinks _'When two shinobi cross blades with one another, they can read each others thoughts and feelings if they are skilled enough. Zabuza, what did you see in me during our fight?'_

**(early the next morning)**

Naruto and Kakashi had eaten an early breakfast as they were planning on attacking Gato's estate while most of his men would still be asleep, or so they hoped. They knew that they could die this day, but this had been something they had decided to do and now, there was no turning back.

"Kakashi, Kakashi" came Tazuna shouts as he ran up the stairs and entered their room.

"Tazuna; is something wrong?" asked Kakashi as he looked at the much older man.

"Damn, I need to exercise more" said Tazuna as he takes in some deep breathes before holding out a piece of paper and saying "I was going out to check my garden and I saw this hanging from the door by an arrow."

Kakashi takes the paper and unfolds it, then reads what was written within. "It's a challenge, from Zabuza. He said he wants to meet me at the bridge...for a rematch."

"Well sensei, it looks like the most dangerous opponent we were expecting to face will also be the first, huh?" said Naruto.

"Actually Naruto, it's just going to be me. His message states that my student not be present because he wants this to be a one on one battle between us. Hm, I guess he thinks you'll interfere if I start losing" said Kakashi.

"I know you won't lose, sensei. But he's right; I would step in if I felt I needed to" said Naruto before asking "So, what do we do?"

"I'll answer his challenge. Maybe I can use this to our advantage. You stay here and prepare yourself. When I get back, we'll be going after Gato and his men" said Kakashi.

"Understood, sensei" said Naruto, though he wished that he could go anyways, even in secret.

"Kakashi, I'll come along with you" said Tazuna, taking Naruto and Kakashi by surprise.

"Tazuna, that would be a rather risky and foolish..." said Kakashi, but Tazuna breaks in mid-sentence.

"I am aware of that. But I'm still going anyways. I'll offer myself up as a bargaining chip that you can use to make Zabuza more agreeable to what ever you were thinking about."

"While I appreciate the vote of confidence from you. You, nevertheless, should know that there is a chance that I could lose this fight" pointed out Kakashi.

"I know that. But regardless of the danger, I believe in you" said Tazuna seriously.

Kakashi sighs before saying "Well, I can see that talking you out of this will be a waste of time. So all right, let's get going."

After that, Tazuna tells his daughter and Inari of what was going on and though Tsunami tries to convince her father to not risk himself, Tazuna convinces her to let him do this and to believe in Kakashi. And as they leave, Kakashi looks back at Inari and says "Don't worry, I won't lose."

And with that, they were gone. After a few minutes of silence, Tsunami says "I just hope this Zabuza guy won't betray the rules of the challenge." She then looks at Naruto and ask "Naruto, can you watch Inari for me for a bit. I need to go into town and get some things."

"That wouldn't be a good idea, ma'am. Gato's goons could be hanging around and seeing you may put you in danger" said Naruto.

"Yeah, but I..." Tsunami starts to say, but Naruto stops here.

"Hey, tell ya what. Make a list of what you need and I'll go into town and get it myself. I'll even pay with my own money" said Naruto.

"But, I can't possibly do that" said Tsunami.

"Sure you can. I am the one offering here, after all. So please, let me do this" said Naruto.

Tsunami finally relents and makes up a list and lets Naruto go, though he does create a Shadow Clone to watch over them while he was gone. Truth was though, Naruto had left to clone for more than protection, but to watch Tsunami and Inari as Naruto suspected that Tsunami had been planning on going to the bridge in order to watch the fight herself.

But as Naruto runs from the house, he fails to notice the eyes from beyond the trees watching him go. And once Naruto was gone from sight, the two men make their way to Tazuna's house to do their mission for Gato.

**(the bridge)**

Thunder rumbled menacingly overhead as the storm that had been warned about before had finally arrived. Already, tiny raindrops could be felt upon the skin as Kakashi and Tazuna await Zabuza's arrival. They didn't have to wait long.

"So, I see you have come to face me after all. Tazuna? Now this was something I wasn't expecting" said Zabuza as he appeared before them.

"I came here of my own free will" said Tazuna.

"I see. And may I ask why?" asked Zabuza.

"I want to make a deal with you" was Tazuna's reply.

"What, do you want me to spare Kakashi in exchange for you? Sorry, but this is a private matter between the two of us. Gato and his needs aren't important or relevant here" said Zabuza.

"Yeah, I already know that. That's not what I was wanting to ask" said Tazuna.

"Then what is it?" asked Zabuza.

"I've over heard Kakashi talking with his student, Naruto. Talking about you and the fight you both had. And Kakashi feels that you are not working with Gato because you want to, but out of necessity" said Tazuna before looking at Kakashi and saying "Sorry, but I've always been rather nosy."

"So, you managed to get that from just one battle with me. It seems we're both truly skilled shinobi, capable of reading others well" said Zabuza as he looks at Kakashi. He then looks back at Tazuna and ask "And what is it you are wanting to ask me?"

"Alright, I have a request. If Kakashi manages to beat you in this battle, then I want you to switch sides and help us take him down. And if Kakashi loses, then I will surrender myself to you and to Gato" said Tazuna.

Zabuza just looks at him for a second before laughing for a moment. "You know, for an old man, you have some sense of humor there. You do realize that I can take you any time I wanted to, right? But fine, I'll make that deal."

Kakashi was surprised to hear that, as was Tazuna. "Zabuza, you would betray him so easily Why? And why are you even working for him when I can tell that doing so cause you to feel disgusted with yourself?"

"Beat me, and maybe I'll tell you, Kakashi the copy ninja" said Zabuza as he draws his sword.

As Kakashi pulls out a kunai and reveals his Sharingan and Tazuna takes a bunch of steps back to give them some room, Zabuza takes quick look around and smiles just a little as he thinks _'Good, he left the genin behind after all. At least that will insure Gato's men won't succeed in kidnapping the old man's family and hurting them. And it will make Haku's job of killing Gato easier with out having to worry about hostages.'_

A sudden blast of lightning from the sky acts like the firing of a gun at the start of the race and both Kakashi and Zabuza charge one another to begin what would be the final battle for one of them.

**(Naruto)**

"OK, and that just leaves those grapes Tsunami wants" said Naruto as he looks over the list of things Tsunami had asked him to get.

The basket he was holding was filled with food and it already looked like it was ready to burst. But, as Naruto started to walk down the street to find some grapes to buy, a sudden flash of information rushes through his mind. Images of men breaking into a house, a woman screaming. A boy being hit hard behind his head and being knocked out. And then, something stabbing into him before everything goes black.

It only took a second for Naruto's brain to process the information. It had been from his Shadow Clone, having been destroyed while trying to defend Tazuna's family. Dropping the basket of food onto the ground, Naruto breaks into the fastest run he could muster as he races back to save them.

After about five minutes, he rushes into Tazuna's house and finds it trashed and wrecked. Then his eyes fall upon the note hanging from the wall. Moving quickly over to it, Naruto pulls it free and reads what it says.

"To the old fool in the house. We have taken your family hostage. If you want them back safe and sound, then you will come to me as soon as possible and surrender to me. And if I were you, I'd hurry as some of my men are hard to keep in check...and your daughter is rather beautiful, isn't she? I'd hate to think that something unbecoming could happen to her should you take to long. Gato."

Naruto growls as he feels his rage building and for a split second, there was a flash of red within his irises before he crushes the paper, then turns and runs out of the house. _'Miss Tsunami, Inari, don't worry. I swear I'll save you two.' _

**(the bridge)**

The rain hammered down on the two fighters as they exchanged blows with one another. Zabuza would swing his massive broad sword to and throw at Kakashi, who would either duck, dodge or weave around each and every hit.

Occasionally, they would fire off a specific jutsu at one another. Zabuza would naturally use water elemental jutsu against Kakashi and was using both the ocean water beneath their feet and the bridge and the rain water above to empower his water attack. He would also unleash wind jutsu attacks as well.

With Kakashi, he would use a fire ball jutsu every now and then, but he wasn't relying to much on it due to the rain causing the fire elemental jutsu to be de-powered a great deal. But mostly, he would use various lightning jutsu which was being strengthened by all the water around them.

In one moment, Zabuza dodged away from an attack from Kakashi while making a hand sign with his free hand that covered said hand with water that shaped itself into the form of a sea serpent. In response, Kakashi forms lightning chakra into the palm of his right hand, forming the face of what appeared to be a tiger. The two warriors then charge at one another as lightning flashed above them.

"Water style: Leviathan Palm."

"Lightning style: Raiken Tiger Palm."

Their two attacks collide with one another; the force of the two attacks were of such magnitude that the rain around them was blasted away and, from Tazuna's perspective, looked like a bubble of water forming around them.

The power behind the blast had also been strong enough to send both of them flying back, though they both were able to keep themselves on their feet. Once their backwards momentum had finally stopped, the two Jonin looked at each other with a since of pride and respect.

"I must admit Kakashi Hatake. Though I had heard that you were among the best of your village. Facing you in combat has taken my expectations to new heights. And for the first time in a very long time, I can't see a victory awaiting me at the end of this fight" said Zabuza.

"I feel the same way. Zabuza Momochi, no matter how this fight ends. I am glad that I met you and had this experience happen to me in my life" said Kakashi, showing his respect for his opponent.

"As am I" replied Zabuza before they continued their epic battle.

**(Naruto)**

After running through the twisting forest path, Naruto had finally emerged before the large opened area that contained Gato's massive sized estate. _'Inari, Miss Tsunami, just hold on a little longer. I'm almost there.'_

Gripping the kunai in his hand tightly, Naruto proceeds forward while beginning to focus on his chakra; preparing himself to create a small army of Shadow Clones to bust down the door and begin his attack.

"Well, isn't this a surprise. I didn't expect to see a Genin mounting an attack against a place like this. At least, not with out his master by his side" came a voice that makes Naruto stop and look up.

Sitting above him was a figured dressed in a blue green colored tunic with long brown sleeved sweater. The persons was wearing a white mask with red symbols painted onto it. Naruto glares at the person before asking "Who are you? One of Gato's guard dog's?"

"Boy, aren't you a rude one, huh? Calling me a dog, let alone one of Gato's dog's. But to give you an answer; no, I am not. I am to Zabuza what you are to Kakashi" said Haku, wondering if Naruto could recognize his voice despite the mask distorting it a little.

"Zabuza's student? Then you are with Gato after all" shouts Naruto.

"It is true that we did work for him. But we are not his to control" said Haku.

"Whatever, I don't really care either way. Not tell me, where is Tazuna's family?" demands Naruto.

"Already inside. Look, little genin. Do yourself a favor and leave this place. And don't worry about those two; they'll be fine" said Haku.

"Like I'm gonna believe you" said Naruto as he starts to advance forward.

"So, you still plan on attacking...despite my advice to the contrary?" asked Haku.

"Your damn right I am. I won't abandon them" says Naruto as he reaches the door and begins to open it.

Haku sighs as he was really hoping that he could avoid this. But, it looked like he had no choice here. Pulling out a senbon, he tells Naruto to "Look up" before tossing the senbon at him. Seeing Haku throw the senbon at him, Naruto jumps back and quickly sees Haku come landing on the ground and taking to standing between Naruto and the double door's into Gato's estate.

"Out of my way" said Naruto in a low, angry voice.

Haku doesn't respond. Instead, he makes a hand sign and to his right, a giant block of ice forms out of thin air and shapes itself till it takes on the appearance of a mirror. "Wait a second; what the heck is that?" asked Naruto as he is momentarily taken aback by this.

"My mother came from a clan that had ties with Kiri many years ago. This clan had a special kekkei genkai that allowed them to combine Water and Wind elemental chakra to create a special type of chakra known as the Ice type. I inherited that power and what you see here is one of the jutsu's I have created from the Ice style; a Crystal Ice Mirror" said Haku.

"That's...rather impressive" said Naruto, now feeling a little more unsure of entering this fight.

"It is. It's to bad you're standing away from me so you can't really see it up close. Oh well, I guess the one behind you will have to do" said Haku.

Naruto's eyes go wide as he spins around and sees that a second mirror had indeed formed behind him. He turns back quickly, only to find Haku was now standing a few inches before him. Haku then points with his finger to his left and Naruto's eyes follow where Haku was directing him to.

And then, Naruto saw the bodies of two men laying in the bushes; both of them dead.

"Gato's two gate guards" said Haku, knowing the question Naruto was thinking.

Naruto looks back at him and ask "What...what is going on here?"

"A revolt of sorts" said Haku before he places his right palm against Naruto chest. "Sorry about this" then pushes against Naruto hard and sends him falling back into the mirror. Before Naruto can even react to what had happened, the ice the made of the mirror latches onto his body and begins to suck him in.

"Hey, what the hell's happening..." shouts Naruto as he struggles to free himself.

"Sorry, but I did tell you to leave. But now, I have to keep you some place safe so I can do my work here. I'll let you out after I'm done...if my Ice mirror doesn't drain all your chakra first and kill you" said Haku as Naruto was fully sucked into his mirror.

Once that was done, Haku removes the other mirror and then enters into the estate with the mirror holding Naruto follows him. He could remove it as well, but that would kill Naruto instantly, which he didn't want. The Ice Mirror jutsu, during various test that Haku had done with it, could be used to hide himself in and he could jump between multiple mirrors from both the mirror world and through the real world. In in the case of the real world, moving from one to another allowed him to move faster than the human eye can see.

Of course, he had also learned that he could imprison an enemy inside a mirror and, because this enemy wasn't him or another Ice chakra bearer, the mirror would siphon off that persons chakra and feed it to Haku. Of course, keep an enemy in there to long would result in death. So, he needed to finish up here quickly before Naruto died from chakra exhaustion...or from the freezing cold he was experiencing inside the mirror. And why didn't Haku want to work with Naruto in this matter?

Because Haku didn't want to risk Naruto being killed because he was still green, according to Zabuza.

**(with Gato)**

"So, the lovely Tsunami. How I have always wanted to meet you. And this little brat must be your son?" asked Gato.

Both Tsunami and Inari didn't respond, instead choosing to stay defiant despite the danger they were in. Gato frowns and says "My dear, why the quiet treatment? I'm not a bad guy. Quite the opposite, I can be most reasonable. I'm sure if your father would just agree to talk with me, we could work something out that would benefit everyone in Wave."

"After having us kidnapped from our home; do you expect me to believe anything that comes from those fish lips of yours, you fart, arrogant troll" spat out Tsunami.

Gato's response is to jump onto his desk and swings his cane hard enough that when it hits Tsunami's face, it draws blood. "MOM?" cries out Inari, but Tsunami remains standing and smiles even more defiantly.

"Stupid witch; think you're brave, huh? Zel, Elo take her and the brat some place quiet. And let him watch his mother be shown a little discipline" ordered Gato.

Tsunami's eyes go wide with horror as she knows exactly what it is he was talking about. And worse was the fact his men were smiling about it. Though she tries to struggle to free herself from their hold, both that and her pleas go unheeded as she and Inari are dragged off.

After a few minutes, they arrive outside a door and has Zel, who had a hold of Inari, goes to reach for the door handle, Haku steps around the corner and looks at them.

"What is going on here?" asked Haku.

"Nothing you need to worry about, pretty boy" said Elo.

But Haku didn't need them to tell him as the look of Tsunami and Inari's faces along with what he knew what Gato was likely to order was obvious. With a simple motion, senbon shoot out and are held in each hand as he rushes in and, before either man could react, jabs the senbon into a pressure point that results in instant death.

As the two men collapse onto the ground, Haku looks at the two, no confused, members of Tazuna's family and says "Take the right that's behind me, head down and take the last left in the hall, then the first left to reach the main door. Get yourself and your child out of here at once."

"Wait, why are you helping us?" asked Tsunami.

"I have my reasons" said Haku.

"Hey, are you a friend of Naruto's?" asked Inari.

Haku hesitates for a second before saying "Yeah, I am. He's here to, dealing with the rest of Gato's men while I deal with Gato himself and save you two. Now go, get out of here. He'll follow after when we're done here."

Nodding, both Tsunami and Inari take off as the head towards the exit. Once they were gone, Haku turns his attention to Gato's office and steps forward to finish his mission.

**(Naruto)**

He didn't know where he was; just that it was eternally dark, silent, void of anything, and most of all, cold. Naruto had curled himself into as tight a ball as possible as he tries to stay warm. And worse was the fact he felt like his chakra was slipping away.

_Death. Is this what it feels like to die?_

And then it came. From the very core of his being came a pulse that felt warm and inviting. Without even realizing it, Naruto reached out and found himself being pulled into his core where the pulse had originated.

One moment, Naruto had been in a void of darkness, then the next he found himself standing at the edge of a midnight lake. Above him was a starless sky. And an old dead tree could be seen along the edge of the water to his far right.

_This place? Where am I? Why does it feel so...familiar?_

Another pulse sent ripples along the water and though he wasn't sure why, Naruto stepped forward till he was standing at the center of the lake. Then he felt it; there was something beneath the waters. Deep beneath the waters and it was calling out to him.

And then, his feet fall through the water and he begins to sink down. Strange was the fact he didn't seem to have a problem breathing nor was he struggling to get back to the surface. It was almost like his body was leading his mind to this place. Or was it his mind leading his mind to this place?

He wasn't sure.

And then, it finally appeared before him. It was like a sphere the size of the moon; a sphere that was glowing brightly with red/orange colored chakra. And in a way, it looked like fire that felt alive.

_What is that?_

A memory places through Naruto's mind, Mizuki's words about him being a Jinchurriki, the container of the power of the Kyubi. Was that what he was seeing now? Kyubi's chakra itself? That felt right for some reason.

Finally Naruto's body came into contact with the sphere and chakra tendrils began to reach out and wrap around him. And as they did so, Naruto felt an intense surge of heat and power being to pulse through his body followed by something else. Rage and an intense desire to destroy; to kill.

Not having the strength to fight this feeling, Naruto just gives in and lets it wash over him as the world goes wild with energy.

**(Haku)**

Gato was reading over his latest finance report as the door to his office burst open and Haku steps in. "What the hell?" shouts Gato as hops down onto his feet and storms over to Haku.

"Just what the hell do you think your doing, Haku? Those door cost me a thousand dollars to have custom made" screams Gato.

"Then you paid to much" said Haku as he forms an ice dagger in his hand and holds it ready to strike Gato down.

"What is this? Is this some sort of sick joke, Haku?" shouts Gato.

"No game, sir. I'm here to kill you" replied Haku.

"WHAT? Does Zabuza know you're doing this?" shouts Gato.

"Of course, he's the one who asked me to do this" replied Haku.

"But why. Wasn't I paying you both well?" asked Gato as he backs away till he was against his desk.

"Yes, but this isn't about money, but pride. Lord Zabuza just doesn't like people like you. Your kind remind him to much of the people the killed my parents and...well, that doesn't concern you" said Haku.

Gato quickly dashes around his desk and presses a small button hidden beneath a drawer, making an alarm sound ring out across the estate. Gato then begins to laugh as he says "You won't be killing me, not when all my men come running in here to save me and kill you."

"I'm nor worried, seeing as I already killed them all before coming after you" said Haku.

Gato's face pales as he says "You...you lie. That can't be possible."

"Believe me or not. It won't change what I'm about to do here" said Haku as he bares down on Gato.

And then, the ice mirror suddenly begins to glow with a fiery red/orange energy, drawing Haku and Gato to look at it. The mirror then begins to shake violently before shattering and Naruto appearing in it's place. And Naruto's body was covered in a chakra cloak and his eyes were glowing a deep blood red color.

"What the hell?" shouts Gato.

"Naruto?" asked Haku as Naruto roars with such force that the whole building shakes violently,

**next time: the end of the battle...Zabuza's secret...the bridge to tomorrow**


	35. 10 Wave, Goodbye

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.10: Wave, Goodbye**

The rain poured down heavily, drenching the two exhausted shinobi as they looked at each other, breathing heavily as they both knew that they were nearing their limits. And off to the side, Tazuna just stood there and wondering just how much more both men could possibly endure.

And then, they both felt it. A powerful pulse of energy that came rushing through the air. Both looked around for a second before they both looked off into the distance towards the direction the pulse had come from.

_'That chakra? Such a powerful swelling of negative energy. It feels familiar; like...no, it can't be...a Biju?' _thought Zabuza, who then realizes that it was coming from the direction of Gato's estate.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was having a more serious realization than Zabuza was having. _'This power; it's the Kyubi's chakra. But that can only mean...Naruto! Something bad has happened.'_

"Kakashi?" said Zabuza suddenly, drawing Kakashi's attention back to him.

"I have a proposition for you" said Zabuza, who was becoming worried about Haku because the chakra was coming from the estate and Haku could be in danger if a Biju had appeared there.

"I'm listening" said Kakashi.

"We have both nearly reached our limits in this fight. So what do you say we throw caution to the win and each put all we have into one final attack and which ever one of us is still standing at the end is the winner" asked Zabuza.

_'I don't have time to keep playing with him. If something has happened to the seal, then I need to get to Naruto as quickly as possible. But still, I doubt Zabuza will just let me go, so...' _thought Kakashi before he says "Alright, let's do this."

After a second of them just looking at one another, they both break into a rapid set of hand signs before they both begin to build up their final jutsu attack. For Kakashi, he gripped the wrist of his left hand with his right while holding his left hand down, aimed towards the ground. And from his hand could be seen lightning chakra beginning to form as it crackled in the open air. Meanwhile, Zabuza brought both hands together as if he was praying, but then he splits his hands apart just a little and reveals a ball of glowing ball of water chakra that was slowly growing bigger.

Zabuza then looks at Kakashi and sees what he was preparing and ask "That jutsu? Is that the one you sprang on me before, during our last battle?"

"You could say that. But that time, I didn't have the time to fully power it up. This time, you'll experience it at full power. And you should know that this jutsu is the one jutsu in my massive arsenal that I created myself, not copied from another ninja" said Kakashi.

Then Kakashi looks carefully at Zabuza's jutsu and ask "And that attack? Is that what I think it is?"

Zabuza nods, then says "Correct, this jutsu is the one created by the first Mizukage and is considered one of the most powerful water jutsu, if no the most powerful, ever created. And as for how I know it? Well, he was my grandfather after all and I was lucky to find his secret stash of jutsu scrolls."

"Tazuna, get as far back as you can. This, is gonna be violent" warned Kakashi. Tazuna just nods before running back till he had left the bridge entirely and couldn't see either Kakashi or Zabuza through the rain.

The two attacks finished preparing at exactly the same time and both ninja went into their attacks. Kakashi blast forward, moving like a bolt of lightning from the sky; his attack cutting into the surface of the bridge with ease as he shouts out "Lightning Blade."

Zabuza, meanwhile, waits to Kakashi was right on top of him before he puts the final bit of energy into his attack, making it glow brightly before his pushes the attack forward, saying "Kirmao (super sonic kinetic water bullet)" and fires it into Kakashi at point blank range.

For one second, Tazuna stands his ground as he awaits some sign that the battle had ended. And then, a light brighter than anything he had ever seen envelopes him followed instantaneously by a sound louder than any blast of thunder ever heard and he finds himself being thrown back from the sudden force of the impact of the two attacks.

When he recovers from being stunned by the fall, he gets back to his feet and rushes back to where the two ninja had been fighting. And we he finally sees them, he freezes as he sees what damage they had done to each other. The two of them were bleeding badly; Kakashi from his entire left hand and Zabuza from his chest and hands and lower arms due to the attacks contacting and canceling each other out in an explosive maelstrom.

"It would seem that they were even in power" said Zabuza.

"So it would seem" said Kakashi.

After a brief pause, Kakashi ask "So, did you feel that power pulsing through the air a few minutes ago?"

"Yeah, it was coming from Gato's estate" replied Zabuza.

"We can continue this fight another time. Right now, I need to get there" said Kakashi.

"As do I. I could sense the power of a Biju and my student is there and may be in danger" said Zabuza.

"Yeah, and I think I know what Biju we both detect too" said Kakashi.

"Then explain on the go" said Zabuza, earning a nod from Kakashi before they both take off and head for the estate, ignoring their injuries and the need for medical attention.

"Hey, what about me?" shouts Tazuna before he follows after them as best he could in his old age.

**(Gato's estate)**

Naruto growled menacingly as he looked from Haku to Gato to Haku again as his feral mind tried to decide which one of them to attack first. The chakra cloak that covered his body bubbled and shook as he dug his now clawed finger nails into the ground.

_'Naruto...' _thought Haku, not knowing what he could or should do now.

He had trapped Naruto within his Ice Mirror in order to keep him from being involved in this blood bath that he was doing here. And though he knew that doing this would drain Naruto's chakra while he was trapped, Haku had planned to release him before it become life threatening. But now that he knew Naruto was, in fact, a Jinchurriki, Haku realized just how foolish his decision had been.

Gato, meanwhile, was very close to crapping himself from the fear he was feeling here. "By Kami, a demon...a Makian...here, in my home?" He then looks to Haku and screams "You attack and kill my men, say you're gonna kill me. And you bring a demonic beast here with you, you damn brat."

Hearing Gato calling him a demon and a beast made Naruto jerk his head at Gato and he then lowed his eyes before a smile crossed his face and his eyes squinted dangerously. As Naruto raised a hand, Gato sensed what was about to happen and quickly turns and makes a run for it.

Naruto roars before a chakra claw shoots from the cloak on his arm and aimed at at Gato, who was pushing the wall to enter the secret passage at that moment. Just as he starts to enter it, he looks back and sees the claw coming at him and Gato screams in terror as he tries to rush into the hidden passage just as the claw collides with the wall and crushes it inward.

After a second, Naruto retracts the claw and looks into the massive hole in the wall as does Haku and neither see any sign of Gato. But they do see a small hint of blood along the edges of the impacted wall.

And then, Naruto looks at Haku and growls in a low, threatening voice.

"Naruto...that's right, you don't recognize me. Not with this mask on anyways" said Haku as he starts to pull his mask off and hopes Naruto's mind still held enough control to recognize him from their meeting the other day.

Unfortunately, Naruto takes Haku's actions as a sign that he was going to attack and he responds by roaring again before launching himself forward to attack Haku. Haku barely has time to dodge as Naruto comes crashing down and destroys Gato's desk from his landing.

Realizing that he would have to fight, Haku raises a hand and forms several Crystal Ice Mirror's and uses them to surround Naruto before entering into one of them. Then, an image of Haku appears on each one. Naruto's eyes dart from mirror to mirror as he searches for the real Haku.

_'Sorry, but I have to do this, Naruto' _thinks Haku as he starts sending senbon after at senbon at him.

The senbon impact against the chakra cloak, but doesn't penetrate it as Naruto's chakra cloak begins to glow. Naruto then jumps into the air, roaring as loud as he can as a powerful shock wave of Kyubi chakra erupts from him and slams into the mirrors, causing all but three of them to be destroyed instantly.

"What power" says Haku as he marvels at Naruto's abilities.

And then, Naruto looks right at him and smiles before lunging right at the mirror Haku was in. Haku jumps to another mirror as Naruto shatters the first with his chakra claw. He then goes for the second as Haku leaps over to the third, then doubles back as Naruto destroys the second as he tries to get Naruto with the newly formed ice lance in his hand.

But before he can make a move to strike, Naruto's head jerks around and, with a speed that Haku couldn't follow, spins around, uses one hand to grab and shatter the ice lance, and uses his other hand to grab Haku by his top and pulls him in close before giving him a most intimidating growl imaginable.

"Naruto..." said Haku as Naruto takes his free hand and brings it back.

"It's me..." continued Haku as the chakra cloak around Naruto's hand begins to glow and rage furiously.

'"HAKU!" finishes Haku as Naruto slams his fist into the mask and sends Haku flying back like a leaf in the wind.

**(with Kakashi and Zabuza)**

"So, your genin student as a Jinchurriki. That explains a lot" said Zabuza.

"Yeah, and it's the Kyubi that is sealed within him" said Kakashi as they moved quickly through the forest as they fast approached Gato's estate. "But you knew it was the power of a Biju. May I ask how?"

"Before I left Kiri, we had two Jinchurriki ourselves. The Rokubi who's Jinchurriki I do not know the name of. And there was the Sanbi, who's power had been sealed within the body of the Third Mizukage. But seeing as Yagura is dead now, I don't know who now holds it" said Zabuza.

Kakashi remains quiet for a moment before asking "Zabuza, may I ask why you left Kiri?"

Zabuza's faces darkens and, from what Kakashi can tell, becomes sadder too. "I have my reasons. Like that blood limit purge that happened during the Third Mizukage's reign. I know I'm not one to talk from all the things I've done in the past. But I can not support a village that would allow that kind of atrocities to happen."

Though Kakashi agreed with him, he also knew that Zabuza wasn't telling him everything. But he chose not to press that issue and ask further. What ever Zabuza was keeping to himself was his business only and NOT Kakashi's.

"I can see the estate up ahead. I just hope we're not to late" said Zabuza as they sped up their pace.

**(Naruto and Haku)**

"**Haku?" **said Naruto as he looked at the masked boy as he tried to pick himself up off the ground, having trouble in doing this.

Cracks had begun to form around the mask on Haku's face and he looks at Naruto before pressing a finger up against the mask. The added pressure causes the mask to finally break and fall away, revealing Haku's face for Naruto to see.

Seeing Haku's face causes a change to occur on Naruto as his eyes slowly lose their glow, returning to normal and his chakra cloak shrivels and weakens before finally fading away completely. He looks closes at Haku before saying "You? You're that girl...I mean, boy from yesterday, right?"

Haku nods as he finds himself smiling for some odd reason while saying "Yeah, I'm glad you _finally _remember me."

"Wait, what are you doing here? And where Tsunami and Inari?" says Naruto as he starts to loom around.

"Don't worry, they are both safe. And as for me, I came here to kill Gato and his men. Or, I guess I should say that I killed his men and was about to kill Gato when you came bursting out in you Jinchurriki state" said Haku.

_'Jinchurriki state? Is that what was happening to me? I can't remember' _thinks Naruto before pushing that thought aside for later. "Why were you planning on killing Gato? Are you some one who suffered because of him like Inari?"

"No. I'm doing it because Zabuza asked me to while he was fighting Kakashi and because someone needed to kill that damn little troll for what he has done" said Haku.

"Because Zabuza asked you to?" said Naruto, then remembering what Haku had said to him outside. "Wait, your Zabuza's student aren't you?"

"That's right?" replied Haku.

"But why? Why would you work for him? He's a criminal, a hired mercenary who kills people for money and..." says Naruto, but Haku cuts him off.

"Because he saved my life" replied Haku.

Seeing the confusion on Naruto's face, Haku says "My mother was from a clan that use to live in Keishu and many of them were ninja for Kiri, my mother included. But the third Mizukage; Yagura, for some unknown reason began a blood line purge that swept over all of Keishu. This purge was meant to kill off anyone who had a kekkei genkai."

"My mother and father, who was a ninja for Kiri himself left with me when this started and I was about six at the time. We hid for a while and thought we were safe. During that time, I began to awaken the power within me. But then, father...something happened to him. He had gone to the market in a town close to where we were hiding out and when he returned, he attacked and killed mother, then tried to kill me. In a fear induced panic, I used the power of the Ice style and killed him."

"After that, I wandered around homeless for a while, stealing food so I could eat and survive. Eventually, I met Zabuza. He took me in, gave me food and clothes, and even trained me. He even helped me master my Ice type chakra. I asked him how he understood the training for it and he only ever told me that he had known another member of the clan and they had been close" explained Haku.

"I see. But I still don't understand why were you attacking Gato and his men? Aren't you and Zabuza working with him?" asked Naruto.

"We need money if we're going to do what Zabuza plans to do. So, hiring ourselves out to people like mercenaries is a good way to go. But Gato was to close to being like the kind of people who allowed the blood line purge, according to Zabuza, and he decided to kill him instead of taking the money and leaving" said Haku.

"Wow, that's surprisingly kind of him. I never would have guessed. So, what is it Zabuza is planning?" asked Naruto.

"He wants to raise an army that can destroy Kiri and wipe it from the face of the earth" states Haku.

"But why? Does it have to do with that blood purge? If so, hasn't everyone involved already died?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, it is because of the blood purge. And most of the ones involved in that decision have died, but a few still remain. And even if they were all dead, he'd still want to destroy Kiri" said Haku.

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"Because, if Kiri could ever produce people who could be capable of bringing forth that purge once, it could happen again in the future. So, it is better to kill the source before it can bring forth another purge" said Haku.

Naruto just stood there, unsure of what to say or how to react to all of this. On one hand, what they were doing did make sense, but at the same time...it was wrong.

"Naruto, you weren't suppose to be here, ya know" said Haku.

"Huh?" asked Naruto.

"Zabuza wanted you to stay back with Tazuna's family because he knew Gato was planning on sending people to kidnap them. But it looked like that didn't work out as he wanted. But at least they weren't hurt, right?" said Haku.

"So, that's what is going on here" came the voice of Gato, drawing their attention to him.

Both Naruto and Haku turn quickly to see Gato, bloody and barely alive, using his cane to help support him while holding a silver object in his hands. "How are you still alive?" asked Haku, sure Naruto had crushed him to death.

"I'm very lucky. But not you" said Gato before aiming the silver object at Naruto's chest and pulling his finger back on the trigger.

Sensing the danger Naruto was in, Haku instinctively jumps in front of Naruto as a shot rang out. For what felt like an eternity, Haku just stands there before he feels blood rushing to his lips. Feeling his chest, he finds a bloody hole over his heart and he then collapses onto the ground.

"HAKU" shouts Naruto as he rushes in and catches Haku and cradles him in his arms.

Seeing Haku in pain, the hole in his chest pumping blood out, his face pale, and his breathing labored, Naruto looks at Gato and ask "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"

"I shot him with this" said Gato, showing Naruto the object in his hands. "It's called a Gun. I picket it up a few years ago while I was doing business in the far west. It fires a small ball of metal called a bullet and is quite effective at piercing most armor, to say nothing of flesh." Gato then goes to work on reloading the gun as it only had a one shot at a time policy.

"Naruto..." said Haku weakly.

"I'm here. Just...try to hold on. I'll...I'll find you some help. You'll be fine" said Naruto as he found himself beginning to cry.

"We both know that is impossible now" said Haku as he reaches up and places a hand on Naruto cheek. "Don't forget...what I told you the other day. You will become strong...I know it. And I'll be watching you from the other side; so don't let me down now."

And then, the light in Haku's eyes fades and his hand falls from Naruto's face.

"So, the little flea is dead now. Good riddance" said Gato.

Naruto's gaze stays of Haku for a moment before he looks up and his eyes begin to turn red and his face contorts to show that he was being filled with more hate than he had ever felt in his life.

"Oh, you miss him that much? Here then, let me send you to join him" said Gato as he aims the gun at Naruto's head.

The roof above them suddenly explodes as Kakashi and Zabuza come rushing down. In an instant, Kakashi is by Naruto and Zabuza lands before Gato and has the little man's head poking out of the circular opening in his Executioner's Blade.

"Kakashi-sensei?" says Naruto as he looks at the older man.

Kakashi looks at him and sighs in relief at seeing Naruto was back to normal, but then realizes that Naruto is crying. He then sees Haku laying lifeless in his arms.

_'Haku?' _thinks Zabuza as he looks back and feels murderous rage rushing through him while Gato quickly pushes the barrel of the gun to Zabuza's chest and pulls the trigger again.

Zabuza's body jerks as the bullet cuts through his heart and reacting from this act, he quickly pulls the blade back and takes Gato's head off in one quick motion before collapsing to the ground.

Kakashi rushes to him, but he can already tell that there was nothing that can be done.

"Kakashi, can you have...your student bring Haku to me?" asked Zabuza as his heart began to fail him.

"Naruto" said Kakashi, looking back at Naruto.

Naruto, hearing the request, nods as he stands up and places Haku down beside Zabuza. The former Kiri nin looks at the dead boy before tears start to fall from his eyes "Haku, did I ever tell you how proud I was to have met you. How you saved me and changed my life for the better?"

Though Haku doesn't reply, Zabuza smiles anyways and says "Thank you, Haku."

He then looks at Kakashi and fights back the darkness so he can say a few more things. "Kakashi, promise me that you'll make sure Konoha never does what Kiri did to those who have kekkei genkai while you still breath."

"Don't worry, I'll never allow that to be repeated so long as my body lives" replied Kakashi.

Zabuza then looks at Naruto and says "Haku spoke highly of you, even though you two had only talked once. Please, never forget him and what you learned from him and live your life staying true to who you are."

"I promise" said Naruto.

Zabuza then pulls his sword over and says "Kakashi, here. I give this blade to you. May it serve you well."

Kakashi takes the Executioner's Blade in hand and gives Zabuza an understanding nod.

"Now, I better hurry up and catch up with...Haku..." said Zabuza, before he to, finally passed on.

After this incident, Gato's estate was destroy and all of his possessions and money were given to the people of Wave, who were finally free. In the after math of this incident, Zabuza and Haku were given the traditional burial ceremony for ninja by having their bodies burned upon a bon fire and their ashes collected into an urn that would be buried with honor.

During the ceremony, Tazuna walks over to Kakashi and says "Here, we found this on Zabuza and decided to no let it burn. Maybe this will explain a few things."

Kakashi looks at the picture and sees Zabuza standing beside a woman who was holding a child. And now he finally understood why Zabuza had left Kiri. This woman, with orange colored hair that was placed into two stalk like shapes that hung down onto her back, must have been his wife and the child their child. And they must have had kekkei genkai to and had been killed. Or at least, that was Kakashi's guess. Two weeks later, the bridge was completed and, to Naruto's surprise, it was named after him because of what he had inspired here in Wave. With a promise to return one day, Naruto and Kakashi left Wave and returned home to the Leaf and the start of another adventure.

**Next time: ...another escort mission...**


	36. 36 Starica

**Special Note: **As of this chapter, I am now accepting Anonymous Reviews from readers. If you are a reader who DOESN'T have a account and would like to review, you may do so now.

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.36: Starica**

A sudden sound in the back of his mind brought Naruto back to the waking world, his eyes popping open as he finds himself looking into a ceiling he was still getting use to. The light of the still early morning sun was filtering in through the drapes covering his window and he sat up and yawned before pulling his still groggy self out of bed.

The same sound from the back of his mind came upon him again, making him all jittery as he spins around and looks over his new home, wondering if there was someone in here with him. "Hello, is anyone here? If there is, then quit playing games and show yourself."

Getting no response nor seeing any sign of movement, Naruto sighs and reminds himself that it was probably just a dream mixed with the still getting use to aspect of his new home in Konoha. Though in fairness, shouldn't they be calling the village Senhana now; seeing that was the proper name for this place?

Shaking that off for now, Naruto walks over to the window and pushes the drapes off to the side before opening the window up, then peeking his head out to look over the new village. When he and the others had first arrived, they had assumed that the village was just being hidden within the upper echelons of the sea of trees on this island. But then, Jiraiya had correct them on what the reality was.

The trees themselves were the village.

Naruto was still astonished by what the third Hokage had told him about this place. The Senju, being known as the clan of the forest, had lived in harmony with all things in nature. And this island had not only been their home, but an extension of themselves. The city of Senhana had been built high up, off the ground. And it had been the trees themselves, somehow, that had created these large inner chambers to act as homes for the Senju. Even the flow of water was some how regulated by the will of the trees.

In addition to this, there were small wooden platforms extending out around each home and wooden bridges that connect one giant tree to the others, creating a maze of sorts that one could explore. And of course, no one down on the surface would be able to see any of this for some odd reason. Naruto figured it was some sort of special Senju made concealment jutsu that was at work here.

_'Well, I better get something to eat, then go find Kakashi-sensei and do some training' _thought Naruto as he turns away from the window and heads over to the cupboard to see if he actually had anything to eat, or if he needed to go grocery shopping before training.

Naruto found himself stopping as the sound of tweets and the flapping of wings caught his attention and he turns around just in time to see a small bird fly in through his open window and land on the wooden table near the center of the room. The bird just looks at Naruto for a second before bursting into smoke that, once cleared, revealed the bird had, in fact, been a letter transformed for easy delivery to him.

"You know; every time I see that, it still amazes and shocks me" said Naruto to himself as he walks over, picks up the letter. Seeing Inari's name on the return address, Naruto quickly opens and reads the letter.

**Dear Naruto**

**It's me, Inari. Boy, it sure been a while since you and Kakashi-sensei have been here in Wave (about three of four months actually). I just wanted to thank you again for what you both did for us (as well as Mr. Zabuza and Mr. Haku too, of course). Things have been going great here since Gato's death and for the first time in a long time, we feel like we're a free people again.**

**But I didn't write you just to say all that now. The REAL reason for this message is because I wanted to invite both you and Kakashi-sensei to join us here in Wave for the first summer star festival; also called Starica by us, that we have been able to have in a long time (not since Gato came and destroyed everything). It will be happening this month, from the twelfth to the eighteenth. You are can make it, then please send a reply. Oh, and if you do come, why don't you bring a girl with you too. Grandpa says that Starica can help make love blossom between a boy and girl and lead to "magical" things happening...what ever that means?**

**Well, I got to go. Mom's hitting grandpa with her frying pan for saying that magical stuff to me.**

**See ya soon,**

**Inari...**

_'Hm, Starica huh?'_ thought Naruto as he considered it.

"Yeah, sure, why not. It does sound like fun" said Naruto before an idea pops into his head. "Hey, I wonder if...?"

Naruto quickly grabs two pieces of paper and a pen and begins to start writing up a reply to be sent to Inari, then writes a letter to be sent to a special someone. Once he was done, he quickly dresses then rushes out the door as he wanted these to get sent off as quickly as possible.

**(Hokage's office)**

"It's been a long time, Jiraiya. Have you been taking care of yourself?" asked Sarutobi as he got up, walked over, and hugged his old student.

"Of course I have, old man. After all, I can't go meeting the reaper till I have finished my life's work: my research of all the lovely ladies out there" said Jiraiya with a lecherous grin.

Sarutobi sighs before saying "Well, at least your libido hasn't changed after all these years. By the way, sorry for not seeing you when you brought the kids back."

Jiraiya shakes his head and says "That's alright. You were busy with village matters, not to mention learning about the events at the Shadow Test and about Hayate's death. Besides, I was in no hurry to leave seeing as you don't ofter get a chance to see and explore a city like Senhana."

"Well, I'm glad you stayed here anyways as I have something I need to talk with you about" said Sarutobi, becoming more serious as he takes his seat behind the desk.

Jiraiya sits down as well before asking "Does it have anything to do with you moving Konoha into Senhana? I was under the impression that this was a sacred place that needed to be protected for all time. By placing the village here could lead to trouble if an enemy finds and attacks here."

"I know, but I was left with little choice. Jiraiya, we have learned that Orochimaru has found us and plans to attack us within the year" said Sarutobi.

"What? Orochimaru has found you? How? Hasn't any of the villages possible hiding spots that he would have known about already been axed from the list? And how do you know he plans on attacking after all this time?" asked Jiraiya.

"We don't know how, to be honest. But I trust the words of the person who delivered this information to me as well as believe the intel that states that he will attack us soon" said Sarutobi.

"May I ask who it was that told you these things?" asked Jiraiya.

"It was the elder, Mada of the Crystal Forest."

To say that Jiraiya was shocked to hear that was an understatement. He knew well the stories behind that woman and knew that everything she said always came true. "I see. And if my guess is correct, you chose Senhana because..."

Sarutobi nods, then says "Correct. When Orochimaru does attack us, it is my hope that Senhana itself will fully awaken from her long slumber and aid us in stopping him and his forces."

Jiraiya takes a moment to look around the room before saying "Senhana; the living city that exist in a balance with nature. Should an enemy ever enter its realm and try to defile her, then she will rise up and crush that enemy with a furious might. Is that what you're hoping for?"

"Correct" was the reply.

"I see. But you gotta admit that this is one hell of a gamble, you know that right?" asked Jiraiya.

"I know. And that brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk with you about" said Sarutobi.

_'The other thing? Wait, don't tell me...' _thinks Jiraiya while asking "What is it?"

"I'm old, Jiraiya. More so than I would like to admit. And I have held onto the position of Hokage for a long time, longer than I maybe should have. Mada made me realize that I have been foolish; both for maintaining this statues for so long and for not having even started grooming a successor yet. That's why the time has come for me to step down and appoint someone new to succeed me...as the Fourth Hokage. And I want you to be the some one" said Sarutobi.

"Sensei, I'm...both shocked and honored that you would choose me for this position. But what about the old windbags, Koharu and Homura? I was under the impression that they didn't like me much. Why would they agree to this?" asked Jiraiya.

"I didn't give them much choice. Basically, I told them either get over yourselves and accept this or resign your station and I'll find better advisers to fill their positions" said Sarutobi.

Jiraiya chuckles before saying "Boy, wish I could have been there to see that happen."

"Well Jiraiya, what do you say?"

"Like I said, I am honored by this...but I can't. I feel that I would better serve the village by being out there, gathering information as opposed to being here doing the desk job work" said Jiraiya.

"I understand that, but I have no one else in the village that has both the chakra and the stamina to do this. Truth be told, I had considered Kakashi or Asuma for the role of being my successor. But Kakashi just doesn't have the chakra levels to be Hokage material and Asuma has no interest in being head of the village and has told me this when I asked him before. Please Jiraiya, you're the only one left. It has to be you" said Sarutobi in a pleading voice.

"Actually, there is another in case you've forgotten. There is always Tsunade" pointed out Jiraiya.

"Tsunade?" said Sarutobi in surprise before giving the suggestion some thought. "Yes, O can see where you're going here. She does have both the skill, chakra levels, and pedigree to be a great Hokage. But, no one knows where she is at present."

"I have an idea about that. If you'll let me, I'll go find her and bring her back" said Jiraiya.

Sarutobi thinks about it, then nods and says "Very well then, I'll assign a few ninja to accompany you and help in the search. But if you can't find her or you do and she says no, then will you accept the position in her place?"

"Don't worry, I'll find her. And if she does say no, then I will become the Fourth. But as for the escort, I'll pass. Besides, you have to prepare for the attack, right? You can't afford to waste the man power for this venture, despite how important it is" said Jiraiya.

"Be that as it may, I..." Sarutobi starts to say, but Jiraiya stops him and then says.

"Actually, there is one person I wouldn't mind having tag along with me. That is, if you can spare him?"

**(twenty minutes later)**

Naruto and Kakashi entered into the Hokage's office and saw both the old man and Jiraiya waiting for them. After taking a seat, Kakashi leans forward and ask "You wanted to see us, lord Hokage?"

"Correct. Kakashi, Naruto; as you both know, there is a danger of this village being attacked by Orochimaru here in the near future. In order to give us the best possible chance of winning, we will need some new blood and, to be more specific, a new Hokage" said Sarutobi.

_'Wait, don't tell me...am I going to become the Fourth?'_ thought Naruto hopefully.

Sensing what Naruto was thinking, Kakashi looks at him and says "Don't get your hopes you. You're still way to young and inexperienced."

As Naruto groans from this, Sarutobi says "Actually, the person I'm eying for the position is Tsunade."

Kakashi's eye goes wide with shock as he ask "Tsunade? You mean, the Tsunade? Tsunade Senju, Tsunade?"

"That's correct. Jiraiya here has agreed to go and search for her as well as bring her back, if possible. And that is why we have called you both here. Kakashi, would you have any issues with sending Naruto to accompany him on this search?" asked Sarutobi.

"No, of course not, lord Hokage. If master Jiraiya thinks Naruto can help him, then I'm fine with that" said Kakashi.

"Wait, just who is this Tsunade woman? And why do you want me to go with you, pervy sage?" asked Naruto.

"I'll explain more about her in detail while we travel. But for now, it's enough to say that she is the granddaughter of the First Hokage; Hashirama, and the most deserving and capable of the position at this time. And as for you coming with me. Well, I feel there's something special about you and would like to train you in some jutsu to make you stronger" said Jiraiya.

"While the trip sure sounds fun, I'm gonna have to pass. You see, I already have a teacher" said Naruto as he points to Kakashi. "We've taken the oath and I can't betray that" said Naruto, failing to notice Kakashi looking away as he said that.

"Naruto...there's something I need to" Kakashi starts to say, but Jiraiya interrupts him.

"Naruto, if Kakashi gives his consent, you can train under me for the duration of the trip. Right, Kakashi?" asked Jiraiya.

"Of course, master Jiraiya" said Kakashi before looking at Naruto and says "Naruto, Jiraiya is a powerful ninja and a wise man. And he can teach you many powerful jutsu that I can't. That;s why I, Kakashi Hatake; your teacher, give you permission to learn from him when ever he offers to teach you something."

Naruto looks back at Jiraiya and says "I don't know. From what I've seen, the only thing he can teach is Being a Pervert 101."

""Hey, I'll have you know I can teach you a lot more than just how to be a pervert" retorts Jiraiya.

"Yeah, like what?" asked Naruto, challenging Jiraiya.

"Well, how about how to sky walk? That can be pretty fun" said Jiraiya.

Naruto closes his eyes and thinks about it before finally saying "I still have my doubts. But I'll go with you anyways just to make sure you don't goof off during the mission."

"That a boy. Just go pack you bags and we can be on our way" said Jiraiya as he goes to get up.

"Actually, an we wait a few days before we leave. I have something I need to do" said Naruto as his cheeks go red.

"And what would that be?" asked Sarutobi.

"Well, I...kinda...asked Hinata if she...wanted to go...out on a date with me for Starica" said Naruto nervously.

Before Naruto could take a breath, all three men were standing, or should I say hovering, over him with big grins plastered on their faces. "Hm, a date, huh? Boy, you sure are growing up fast, Naruto" said Sarutobi.

"It seemed like only yesterday he was screaming on about being Hokage..." said Jiraiya.

"And now, thanks to me, he lusting after the female form. Mission accomplished" said Jiraiya as he gives Naruto a thumbs up.

Naruto then blushes in embarrassment before saying "Guys, it's not that big of a deal. I've just asked her if she wanted to go and if she says yes, we'll meet up at Wave and have some fun."

"Want a condom? Just in case?" asked Jiraiya as he rummages through his pockets.

"HELL NO. Just how old do you think we are?" screams Naruto.

"Ah, going oh natural, are we? I agree completely" joked Jiraiya.

"OH SHUT UP" shouts Naruto as he crosses his arms over his chest in a huff.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Seriously though, that shouldn't be a problem, Naruto. This will give me some time to make some additional arrangements for this trip" said Jiraiya.

"What kind of arrangements?" asked Kakashi.

"I want to hire a specialized tracker to help us in the search; someone far more skilled than anyone here in the village" said Jiraiya.

Sarutobi nods, then says "Alright then; once Jiraiya has finished his preparations for this trip and Naruto has gotten to third base (earning an evil glare from Naruto for that remark) with Hinata, you two will set out on your mission to find Tsunade."

"Don't worry, old man. We'll find this Tsunade woman and bring her back" said Naruto confidently.

"Naruto, would you like me to help you pack for the trip?" asked Kakashi.

"Sure" said Naruto as he and Kakashi go to leave.

"Kakashi, seeing as your helping Naruto prepare; will you help him find some new garments that will make him appear to be a Sage in training for this mission?" asked Jiraiya.

Both Naruto and Kakashi looks back and Naruto ask "Why do I need a new look?"

"Because where we're going isn't very friendly to outsiders, especially ninja. And seeing as all your clothes will likely scream "I'm a ninja", it will make things easier if you appear to be a Sage in training and NOT a ninja. Plus, we can hopefully avoid unwanted battles too" said Jiraiya.

"Leave it to me, lord Jiraiya. I'm sure I can find something that will fit the missions needs" said Kakashi before he and Naruto left the room.

**(Temple of Ama)**

Hinata and Tenten stepped out of the mess hall and made their way towards the passage to the training level. Having filled their stomachs with food, they were both ready to kick off another intense day of training. Especially since Hinata would soon be going out on her first official mission as a Slayer.

"So, what am I going to be learning today, Tenten?" asked Hinata as they rounded a corner.

"Well, you have been doing well with the hand to hand combat training. So how about we start working on teaching you how to wield your weapons in a fight" said Tenten.

"Sounds good to me" said Hinata who was looking forward to trying out her bladed battle staff, chakram, and battle claws.

"Hinata" comes Sakuya's voice from behind them, making the two girls stop and turn around. Once she was standing before them, she says "I'm glad I found you so quickly. A letter just arrived here for you." She then hands the letter to Hinata.

"A letter for me? I wonder who sent it" said Hinata as she turned it over and examined both sides.

"I'm not sure, but the delivery man was a ninja from the looks of it. I think he was from Konoha" said Sakuya.

"From Konoha? Then it must be from Naruto" said Hinata excitedly before opening the envelope quickly, pulling out the letter, and unfolding it so she could read it.

"Naruto? Oh yeah, that boy I here you calling out to in your sleep at night" said Tenten, making Hinata blush from learning that someone had heard her. She then reads through the letter and she starts blushing even more before she goes catatonic like.

"Hinata? HINATA?" said Sakuya as she waves her hand across her eyes, getting no response. "I wonder what the letter was about."

"I'll find out" said Tenten as she grabs the letter from Hinata's hand, bringing Hinata back to reality as she tries to get the letter back. But, Tenten is able to keep her away as she reads the letter aloud.

"Dear Hinata, I hope you're doing well in your new life as a priestess for the Temple of Ama. The Shadow Test was...well, some stuff happened and I'll fill you in on it the next time we see each other. And, well...the reason why I'm writing is...I heard that there is a Starica Festival being held in the Land of Wave over the next few days and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me. You know, like a...date or something. If you answer yes, then send a reply right away. Note, the ninja who is delivering this message will stick around till you give him the reply. And the date, if you say yes, I was thinking we could do it tomorrow. I'll be waiting for your reply and hope to see you in Wave. You're hero, Naruto" read Tenten before looking at Hinata with a big grin on her face.

"Oh, that is so cute. He's asking you out and everything."

_'Naruto...'_ thinks Hinata as she imagines herself and Naruto on a date. "Wait, I don't have anything to wear" she said in a despairing voice.

"Well, you could wear your priestess robes...or maybe your Slayer garments. Either one will make him drool all over you" said Tenten.

"Don't worry, Hinata. I'm sure we have a kimono around here that would be perfect for this occasion. But right now, you better write that reply message. After all, that delivery ninja is still waiting for it" said Sakuya.

"Your right, I need to hurry" said Hinata before she runs off to her room to get her reply written.

Sakuya smiles as she recalls her own first date with a boy, especially how that night ended. But she is brought out of her memory reverie when she hears Tenten chuckling evilly. "Tenten, what's with that laugh?"

"Huh?" said Tenten, looking at her in surprise. "Oh, nothing...nothing at all, heh heh." As Tenten walks off, Sakuya can't help but think Tenten was planning some that will likely make this date more interesting.

**(the next night; The Great Naruto Bridge)**

Upon arriving, Naruto had taken a moment to marvel at the completion of the bridge that now shared his name. He had to hand it to Tazuna, this really was a amazing piece of work. Once the moment to bask had passed, Naruto took a quick look around and didn't see Hinata. She he went and leaned against one of the wooden arch's and awaited her arrival and getting more and more nervous by the second.

Naruto wasn't wearing his usual ninja gear; not even his forehead protector. All of that had been left back in his place in Senhana. Instead, he was wearing a lite red colored vest with pointed edges and a olive green colored tunic and pants. His new look was actually similar to Jiraiya's Sage clothes. But his didn't have the faded color look that Jiraiya's had. He also had a pack hanging from his back that held all his stuff that he was taking on the trip. The plan was that Jiraiya would meet him here and they would both stay with Tazuna and his family for the night and set out in the morning from here.

Getting an idea, Naruto makes a Shadow Clone and tells it "Here, take this over to old man Tazuna's place", then hands it the back pack before adding "Then go take a look around and see if maybe Hinata is already here and might have gone into the village to look for me."

The clone nods before turning and leaving Naruto to continue his waiting alone. After about fifteen minutes of waiting and watching other people pass him, Naruto looks up to the sky and begins to star gaze; trying to see how many consolations he could make out in the sky.

"Naruto?" came a voice that made him look to his front.

Naruto's eyes go wide as his cheeks blush a furious pink/red as his gaze falls onto Hinata. He had thought her beautiful before; but seeing her now was taking his breath away. She was wearing a radiant golden colored kimono with silver roses decorating it. She had a cute lavender ribbon in her hair that had bells hanging down from it along the side via tassels. She had a swan covered paper fan in her hand, and she had a small amount of makeup that complemented her goddess like appearance.

"Hi...Hi...Hinata, you...your beautiful" stammers out Naruto, feeling like he had died and gone to heaven.

Hinata blushes a mad pink color as she shyly looks away and says "You to, Naruto. I mean, you look really handsome tonight."

Naruto just smiles and says "I guess we both came looking our best, huh? Well, are you ready to see what Starica has to offer us?" He then holds out his hand and offers it to Hinata.

Hinata nods as she places her hand in Naruto and says "Yeah, let's get going."

And with that, the two walk hand in hand, side by side through the bridge arch and begin their walk towards the festival grounds. As they walk, neither take notice of another person following them a few yards back. Tenten smiled beneath her panda mask, which had her mouth and the bottom of her nose exposed as she hated covering either and was wearing an identical kimono as Hinata.

_'OK you two, lets see some magic' _thinks Tenten as she keeps a close eye on them.

After crossing the bridge, Naruto and Hinata run into Inari, Tazuna, and Tsunami, who lead them around and show them all the stands that were set up across the path. At one stand, Naruto and Hinata try on and buy decorative mask. Naruto gets a cure toad mask and Hinata a blue bird mask.

They then stop by a ring toss and Naruto manages to win Hinata one of the big, as in near human sized, stuff doll of her choice. To Naruto's surprise, or not, she chooses a fox plushy that Naruto offer to carry around on his back for her. They get some cotton candy to eat and share with one another. Inari gets them to share a drink together using two straws. At one point, Inari makes them looks away and turns the cup around so when they go back to drinking again, Inari lets them know what he did and that they had shared an indirect kiss. Naruto responds by trying to kill Inari while Hinata presses a finger to her lips and wonders what it would feel like to actually be kissed by Naruto.

They check out other booths as well. And then finally, they separate from Inari, who goes off with his family; Naruto and Hinata follow others to the top of a hill and find a nice quiet place where they can watch the fire works.

As they were sitting by one another, Hinata debates wrapping an arm around Naruto's and resting her head against his shoulder. She then says "Thank you, Naruto. This has been the most fun night I have ever had in my life."

Naruto blushes, then looks at her and says "Thank you for being here tonight with me, Hinata."

"Naruto, can we do this again next year?" asked Hinata.

Naruto nods before looking up into the sky and says "Of course. We'll be here again next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. We'll come here every year."

"I can't wait" said Hinata.

A sudden streaking sound and the sight of something shooting into the air catches their attention as Naruto says "Alright, the fire works are starting."

And then, the first burst of light occurs in the sky, followed by many more. Soon, the sky was aglow with many beautiful pyrotechnic sights that marveled and amazed them. So focused on this were they, that neither notice a figure come up and grab Hinata, covering her mouth and pulling her back.

Before Hinata can scream, Tenten whispers "Shh, don't say anything. It'll ruin the fun."

Allowing Hinata to turn and see her, Hinata says in a whisper "Tenten, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see my Sister out on her first date" said Tenten, giving her a wink. She then smiles and says "Hinata, I have an idea."

Naruto, to focused on the sight of the exploding fireworks, fails to hear the two girls whisper. Finally, he says "Hinata, this is so amazing. Don't you think so, too? Hinata?"

Naruto was suddenly aware that Hinata wasn't responding. Was she really that in awe of it too? And then he noticed that he could feel her near him. But as he goes to turn to where she was sitting, he sees motion followed by a flash of her kimono off the corner of his eye come to sit down beside him again.

"Hinata, is something..." said Naruto, till the feel of Hinata wrapping herself around his arm and resting her head on his shoulder makes him freeze.

He blushes madly as he realizes that he can feel her chest pressing up against his arm, which brings some perverted images into his head. Shaking them off, a new desire comes to mind. A desire he knew he needed to act upon at least.

"Hinata?" asked Naruto.

"Hmm?" was the reply.

"I think I know how to make this night more memorable than it already is. Will you close your eyes?" asked Naruto.

He feels her nod before pulling away from him. Naruto's sight goes mostly dark as the fire works momentarily stop, foretelling that the big one's were about to begin. He turns to Hinata and sees her looking at him. From what little he could see, it looked like she was using her mask to cover her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto closes his eyes too before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers.

For a few moments, Hinata returns the kiss as they share this magical moment. And then, Hinata freezes up. Naruto breaks away, confused by why she stopped and looks at her just as the first jumbo fire works display begins. And Naruto's eyes go wide at what he sees.

"AAAAHHHHH, I kissed a panda" screams Naruto in shock.

Tenten comes out of her stiff state,slaps Naruto hard, them bolts up onto her feet ans she pulls her ask off. "You pervert, how dare you steal MY first kiss" shouts Tenten.

Naruto's eyes go even wider and he screams "NO WAY, THAT PANDA HAS MORPHED INTO A HUMAN FORM!"

A vein pops out on Tenten's forehead as she rages. "You...IDIOT...PERVERT...DIE" before jumping upon Naruto and begins to beat him senseless.

Hinata, who had been off to the side watching this, runs forward to save Naruto. She wasn't mad at Naruto for kissing Tenten. Rather, she was mad at Tenten for convincing her to switch with her and thus, causing Hinata to miss out on her first kiss.

"Please Tenten, don't kill him" pleas Hinata as she tries to figure out of to save Naruto.

"Well well, this has certainty become interesting" said Jiraiya as he watches from a nearby tree branch.

Tenten stops and looks at him, saying "And who are you?"

A bloody and beaten Naruto looks up and says "Huh? Pervy Sage...is that you?"

"Pervy Sage?" asked Hinata.

Tenten looks at Naruto and says "What do you mean by that; calling him Pervy Sage?"

Though really woozy, Naruto manages to say "He's a self proclaimed super pervert. He writes porn books and goes around asking girls to help him with his research. He even molested Ino, a girl from my village who's the same age as me, my touching and groping her butt."

Tenten looks at Jiraiya with a dangerous fire in her eyes as she says "Oh really now?" She then lets Naruto go, having forgotten about what had happened, and cracks her fist as she says "Will you come here a second, mister SUPER PERVERT?"

Jiraiya sweat drops as he scratches his head and says "Um, I think I took a wrong turn at that cotton candy stand. I think I better get going...now." Jiraiya then jumps from the tree and makes a run for it with Tenten chasing after him and screaming on about how she was going to rip his balls off.

Once they had disappeared from sight, Hinata helps Naruto up and ask "Are you OK, Naruto?"

"Yeah, but that crazy girl can hit hard. Harder than any guy I know" responds Naruto.

"She's Tenten; my Sister at the Temple. And by Sister, I mean she's the one who trains me in all I need to know" said Hinata.

"Boy, I didn't know fisticuffs were mandate learning for healers" said Naruto.

"Ah...it's always a good idea for a girl to know how to defend herself from dangers in this world: said Hinata, nervously.

"Oh, that makes sens" said Naruto, making Hinata sigh in relief.

Hinata then remembers Naruto kissing Tenten while thinking it was her and she ask "Naruto, were you really going to kiss me back there?"

Naruto blushes as he wonders what to say "Well, yeah...that was the plan. Um, you wouldn't have minded, would you?"

"No Naruto, I wouldn't have..." Hinata starts to say, but is stopped and Naruto grabs her arm and pulls her forward as he presses his lips to hers.

They remain in the kiss for only a moment before breaking apart and looking at each other before they lean forward and kiss one another again; this time their hands lock and their fingers entwine as they keep the kiss going longer this time. Much longer this time.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya is still running for his life as Tenten gets closer and closer to catching up with him.

**Next time: the greatest hunter's in the world...the training begins**


	37. 37 Dog Days

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.37: Dog Days**

"AAAHHH NNNNOOOO; please, not my...huh?" said Jiraiya as he realized that he wasn't running for his life with a psychotic girl chasing after him.

Looking around, he saw that he was in a small room, likely a guest room if his guess was right. He saw Naruto was already up and had his travel pack in front of him, but Naruto was currently looking at him with a surprised look on his face.

"Hey, pervy sage? Are you OK?"

"I...wha...where...?" stammers out a confused Jiraiya.

"Calm down, old man. Just take a deep breath and try to think before you speak" suggested Naruto.

Realizing that he was right, Jiraiya closes his eyes and takes several deep breathes. Once he was feeling more composed, he ask "Naruto, where are we?"

"We're at Tazuna's place, remember? He and his family are letting us stay here so we won't have as far to travel today" said Naruto.

"But what about last night?" asked Jiraiya.

"Last night?" asked Naruto.

"You know, your date with Hinata and me being chased by that girl, Tenten?" asked Jiraiya.

"I don't what you mean by this Tenten girl? But as for me and Hinata? Well..." said Naruto before he reaches into his pack and pulls out some lavender colored panties.

Jiraiya blushes, then grins like and idiot as he says "Alright; the boy is on his way to super pervert status. Tell me everything; ever little detail. And don't sugar coat the messy stuff."

"Knowing you, you'll probably want to know for one of your books. Fine, but maybe we should wait till AFTER your shower. No offense, but you're all sweaty and ragged looking. And you stink too" says Naruto.

Lifting up his arms and taking a sniff, Jiraiya realizes that Naruto is right. So he gets up and enters the guest rooms bathroom, then undresses as he prepares for a shower.

And then a few seconds later. "WHAT THE HELL?"

"Hey, pervy sage; what's wrong?" shouts Naruto.

"My...I'm...it's" comes Jiraiya's voice from the bathroom.

"Yeah, so what are you saying?" asked Naruto, sounding a little bored.

The bathroom door burst open and Jiraiya stands naked before him as he screams "I'M A EUNICH."

"Oh yeah, so?" asked Naruto, not seeing what the big deal is.

"So? SO? Come on Naruto, you're a guy too. Surely you know what this means?" shouts Jiraiya.

"Um, you're gonna be doing a lot of squatting from now on?" asked Naruto.

"This is no time for jokes, Naruto. Oh god, what happened; where could they be?" cries Jiraiya.

"Gosh pervy sage? Don't you remember? Tenten got her hands on you last night and helped you get in touch with your feminine side" says Naruto.

"But, you said that I was dreaming" shouts Jiraiya.

"Oh yeah, I did didn't I? Sorry, I guess I was lying, huh?" said Naruto, grinning wildly.

As Jiraiya starts to cry from his loss, Naruto reaches into his bag and says "Oh, don't have a cow, man. Your missing pieces are right here." He then pulls a small paper bag out and shakes it in front of Jiraiya.

Seeing the bag, Jiraiya rushes over and peeks inside before sighing in relief. "Don't worry, pervy sage. I made sure the family jewels were both accounted for and secure. But, I suggest we find Tsunade as soon as possible. After all, she's the only one who might have a chance to reattach your balls."

Just then the door burst open and Hinata comes running in. "Hinata, what are you doing here?" asked Naruto as she jumped onto the bed to be beside him.

"Naruto, I need you...now" panted Hinata as she places her hands on his chest.

"But Hinata, me and pervy sage..."

"I said NOW, Naruto. I can't stop thinking about last night. And my body his so hot for you right now. Please Naruto..." then Hinata leans over and whispers something into Naruto's ear.

Naruto blushes before saying "Well, never deny a girl what she wants." Then, both Naruto and Hinata's clothes vanish, leaving them naked before they start going at it like two rabbits in heat.

As Jiraiya watches and starts getting ideas for his book, he feels the bag in his hands slip away, making him look away from Naruto and Hinata. His eyes go wide with horror as he sees the bag with his...parts laying on a table and Tenten is right next to it, with a big hammer in her hand.

She then looks at Jiraiya and says "I told you I'd be back to finish the job."

As she raises her hammer up, Jiraiya begs her to not do it. But Tenten ignores him as she swings the hammer down hard, smashing through the table and the paper bag in one stroke.

"AAAAAHHHHHH" screams Jiraiya as he awakens from his nightmare.

"Oh shut up and go back to sleep, pervy sage. It's still way to early in the morning for this crap" grumbles Naruto before rolling on his side and going back to sleep.

_'Wait, was that a dream?' _asked Jiraiya before remembering the details of the dream. He quickly lifts up the covers followed by grabbing his groin and feeling for a second before sighing in relief. Laying back, he reminds himself to never again eat eel and cotton candy together again.

**(a few hours later; mid-morning)**

Naruto and Jiraiya had just passed through the exit arch of the Great Naruto Bridge and had turned towards the north as they headed for their next destination. Currently, they were walking with a good view of the ocean off to their right.

"So Naruto, how did you date go last night?" asked Jiraiya.

"Well, it was different...different than what I'm normally use to. But, it was really nice too. I had a lot of fun and it was a good memory" said Naruto.

"So, did you and that girl...ya know, do anything while I was running for my life, and my man hood?" asked Jiraiya.

"Why do you ask? Hoping for some juicy stuff to put into your next perverted book?" asked Naruto.

"Actually yes, but it's not for the reason you think" said Jiraiya.

"Oh really? Then what is the reason, pervy sage?" asked Naruto.

"Well, most of my stories have followed the flow of either boy meets girl or girls or boy knows girl or girls since childhood. They arrive at some place and something happens that leads to adult content rather quickly. But to be honest, I've been thinking about writing a more decent story between a boy and a girl. There's still be sex in it, but this story would have a more natural and deep build up instead of the usual horny kids in heat that is the norm for me. And truth be told, you and that Hinata girl do fit my ideal images and thoughts on the two main characters. Even your backgrounds, too" said Jiraiya.

Naruto sighs before saying "We...me and Hinata, we...kissed an then we kissed again, a little longer than the first time. Then we just held each other as we watched the rest of the fire works before Tenten returned and we parted for the night, promising to go on another date as soon as we can."

"I see" said Jiraiya as he jots that down. "Naruto, while we're on this journey, would you have any issues with filling me in on how you and her first met?"

"As long as you promise not to warp it into a cheap sex story, I guess I can tell you" said Naruto as he looks over the ocean waters. "Say, pervy sage?"

"Yeah?" asked Jiraiya.

"I know why we ended up staying in Wave overnight was because it was already really late and we wouldn't have gotten back home till well after midnight. But I just realized that I don't even know where we're heading."

"Oh right, I haven't told you yet, have I?" asked Jiraiya. After Naruto shakes his head, Jiraiya says "We're heading to a port town located in the Keishu region. From there, we'll be taking a boat to Antana were we'll begin our search for Tsunade."

"To Antana? Why there?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I've done my best to keep track of Tsunade over the years. We are, after all, old friends and fellow Konoha nin as well as part...well, there's no need to talk about that. Anyways, I know she caught a boat to Antana about seven years ago and hasn't returned to Shumoa since. And so you don't have to ask; if she had returned since then, I would have learned about it right away" said Jiraiya.

"So, we're taking a coastal path in order to cross the regional border from Senai to Keishu so we can get to this port?" asked Naruto.

Jiraiya shakes his head and says "Not exactly. Do you remember during the meeting, I said that your date would give me plenty of time make some additional arrangements?"

"Yeah; didn't you also say something about hiring a tracker?" asked Naruto.

"That's right. So, before we head to the port town in Keishu, we'll be making a quick stop in a village along the border called Caldis to pick up our traveling companion who will help us track down...Naruto?" asked Jiraiya as he realized that Naruto had stopped and was staring out over the ocean.

Naruto didn't respond, so Jiraiya walks over to him and says "Naruto" again with a little more strength in his voice. He also places a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto jumps before looking at Jiraiya and says "I'm sorry, what? Oh, right. The tracker. Sorry pervy sage, I must have zoned out there without realizing it."

"Are you OK, Naruto?" asked Jiraiya in a worried tone.

After a brief pause where he looks over the waters again, Naruto looks back and Jiraiya and says "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess it was just my imagination."

"What was?" asked Jiraiya.

Naruto hesitates before saying "Well...I know this is gonna sound silly. But, I think I'm hearing voices."

"What do you mean?" asked Jiraiya.

"Honestly, I'm not sure how to explain it. But I could have sworn that the ocean was speaking to me. And before, during the festival as me and Hinata were watching the fire works, I thought the fire flies were whispering too, though I ignored it. And after we started living in Senhana, I keep having this feeling that the trees are talking in whispers too. Pretty weird huh?" said Naruto with a nervous laugh.

"Naruto..." said Jiraiya as this reminds him of something important.

Naruto then waves this off and says "Aw, it's no big deal? I'm probably just tired or stressed or something. Either that or I'm going crazy." Naruto then begins to walk forward and says "So, you were telling me about this tracker guy?"

In the next moment, Jiraiya comes up behind Naruto and presses the index and middle finger of his right hand, glowing with chakra, against the back of Naruto's neck. Naruto's eyes gloss over before he falls forward and Jiraiya catches him before he can hit the ground. Jiraiya then lays him gently on the ground before pressing his hands together to begin building up chakra.

_'Naruto, what you just described...is it possible? Well, there's one way to find out'_ thinks Jiraiya before making several hand signs, then presses his hand to the ground, saying "Summoning jutsu" while doing so. A blast of smoke erupts from the seal that appears on the ground and when the smoke clears, Jiraiya is looking at a small wrinkled toad, with faded green skin, and a small brown/red cape on his back.

"Aw Jiraiya-boy, it's been a while" said the toad.

"It has indeed, lord Fukasaku. So, how's lady Shima doing?" asked Jiraiya.

"Still making my life an interesting one to live, so I can't complain. So, why did you call me?" asked Fukasaku.

Jiraiya points to Naruto and says "I was hoping you'd use your Sage sense to see if this kid has the potential. He said he's been hearing the voices of the spirits in nature. The whispers of the trees of Senhana, fire flies, and even the ocean."

Fukasaku turns and looks at Naruto, saying "Hm, very interesting. Well, let's have a look at him, shall we?" Fukasaku places his hands together to gather energy for a moment. When he was done, he places his hands on Naruto's body and begins to scan him with his power.

After a few minutes, he pulls his hands away and looks at Jiraiya, who ask "Well? Does he have the potential or not?"

Fukasaku nods and says "I'd say he does. In fact, I think his potential is even greater than your own. With proper training, he may be capable of becoming a Sage who would be second only to lady Amarillo in terms of sheer skill and ability. Who is this boy, anyways?"

"Naruto Uzumaki" said Jiraiya.

"Uzumaki? Wait, does that mean that he's...?" asked Fukasaku as his eyes go wide.

"That's right. Naruto is Kushina's son...as well as the son of that boy wanderer, Minato Namikaze. When I first saw him, I thought he looked familiar and when he told me his name, I knew that he was their son" said Jiraiya.

Fukasaku nods as he remembers Jiraiya's last visit to Mt. Myoboku, he had spoken of meeting Minato while on his journey on several occasions and Kushina, who had ran away from Konoha due to having fallen in love with him. _'So, they did get together and had a child too, huh?'_

"That explains what else I felt" said Fukasaku.

"What do you mean?" asked Jiraiya.

"Besides his ability to sense Nature Energy and hear the voices of nature, I also detected a kekkei genkai in his blood as well as another mysterious power I couldn't identify" said Fukasaku.

Jiraiya nods before saying "The kekkei genkai must be the Uzumaki clans power of Longevity; the power that lets them live much, much longer than the average human. And as for that mysterious power you detected? I think that might have been the Kyubi's chakra."

"WHAT? This boy has a Biju's power sealed inside him as well?" asked a shocked Fukasaku.

"Yeah, funny how that works, huh? A blood limit, a demon gods power, and the gift of drawing on nature energy. This kid is a wonder, huh?" asked Jiraiya.

"Indeed..." said Fukasaku as he looks back at the sleeping boy. _'Such a combination; I wonder what will be born from all of that?'_

Fukasaku then looks back and ask "So, should we bring him to Mt. Myoboku and start his training now?"

Jiraiya shakes his head and says "As much as I would like to, I can't. We have been given a mission by Sarutobi-sensei to find Tsunade and bring her home. After that, I'll have a talk with Naruto and his current teacher, Kakashi, and see what they think of this. Also, has Tsunade returned to Shumoa?"

Fukasaku shakes his head and says "No, her presence is still coming from Antana. As for the boy; let me know when you're ready to bring him. But, I do suggest you get him started on the training by having him sign the contract with us. That will get his training started in the right direction."

Jiraiya nods and says "I was planning on doing that anyway while we were on this journey. But knowing that he has the potential just makes it all the more important now. Thanks for confirming this, gramps."

"Anytime, Jiraiya-boy. I'll be seeing you both soon" said Fukasaku before making a hand sign and disappearing in another puff of smoke.

With that business over with, Jiraiya leans down and reverses the jutsu he cast on Naruto, making him wake up immediately. Sitting up, Naruto looks around and says "Hey, what happened?"

"You tell me, Naruto? I guess you must have tripped on a rock or something. So, you OK?"

Naruto feels his head, then says "Funny, I don't remember falling nor can I feel a pump." After he had gotten back on his feet, Naruto says "Anyways, you were saying about this tracker we have coming with us?"

"Tracker? Oh right, the one I arranged to help us in the search while you were preparing for your date" said Jiraiya as he and Naruto started walking again.

"Well the first thing I should say is that the family this tracker comes from are actually more like Bounty Hunters. They are paid an appropriate sum based on the target and they will hunt them down with deadly efficiency. This has also made them excellent trackers as well. And they'll accept any job, with a few exception's like trying to find hidden villages or hunting an innocent person if the client wants that person killed. And the name of this family, or should I say clan, is the Inazuka" said Jiraiya.

"Inazuka, huh? Are they any good?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I haven't heard of them failing to complete a mission yet, so I like our odds" said Jiraiya.

**(two hours later; Caldis)**

"So, is this the place?" asked Naruto as he and Jiraiya stood outside a large building with a fence designed around it.

"Yup, this is the Inazuka Clan's compound. Really interesting, huh?" asked Jiraiya.

"Interesting is one way to describe it. But to be honest, it looks more like a tavern mixed in with a hospital...if that makes any sense" replied Naruto.

"True, but...well, I'll let an Inazuka explain the details. But before that, we need to let them know we're here" said Jiraiya before reaching out and pulling on the small road that activated the large bell by the door.

After a few moments, a rather beautiful brown haired girl with red markings on her cheek stepped outside and looked at them. "Ah, master Jiraiya. We've been expecting you." She then walks forward and unlocks the gate to let them in.

"Hana, your just as beautiful now as I remember you being when I saw you last, if not even more beautiful" complimented Jiraiya and making Naruto sigh in exasperation.

"Like I told you before, master Jiraiya. If you want me to help you with your "Research", then you'll have to hire and pay me the required fee. Though the flattery is welcomed and...it might make me lower my price...just a little" said Hana as she gave him a lusty look.

_'Well, I guess even pervy sage has to get lucky from time to time' _thinks Naruto as the step inside the building.

"Oh, don't worry if you see any rabid looking dogs or wolves running around while we walk to see mom. They won't bite you, unless ordered or if you provoke them" warned Hana.

"Rabid dogs and wolves?" said Naruto in surprise.

"What, you mean you don't know?" asked Hana, looking back at Naruto who shakes his head in reply.

"I thought I'd let an Inazuka be the one to explain about how you guys operate. After all, who would know better about you than you" said Jiraiya.

"Oh, good point" said Hana as they passed through a small door into another long hallway. "OK kid, here's the deal. All members of the Inazuka have a partner assigned to us when we turn ten years old. It can either be a dog or a wolf, depending on certain factors which aren't of importance to outsiders. And, if both human and dog/wolf accept each other, then we will perform a special ritual to bind them together as one" explained Hana.

"What do you mean by bind them together? You mean like fusing them into a single person?" asked Naruto.

Hana laughs before saying "Oh no, it's not like that. The ritual just connects them is all. The two gain the ability to read each others thoughts. The dog or wolf will age slower and live as long as the human partner does, and the dog/wolf partner can also morph into the form of the human partner when they eat a special food pellet we created for them. It's all really complicated, so I won't bore you with the details."

"Oh, I see. So, where's your partner?" asked Naruto.

"She's resting right now, having just given birth to a litter of pups. Anyways, enough with the questions; we're here" said Hana as they stop in front of a large door. Hana then knocks while saying "Hey mom, that sex crazed old man is here and ready to get his tracker."

Naruto looks at Jiraiya and gives him a wily grin and says "Boy, she sure has you pegged, huh?"

"I'm not just a sex crazed old man, ya know. I'm also a sex starved old man" points out Jiraiya.

"Enter" came a tough, yet slightly feminine sounding voice.

Upon entering the room, Naruto sees the woman sitting behind a desk with her legs kicked up as she was lounging back comfortably. Though she was attractive in her own way, Naruto couldn't help but think that there was something untamed and wild about her. And something bestial too.

"Ah, MASTER Jiraiya. I see you have returned to me" said the woman as she licks her lips.

Naruto notices Jiraiya becoming nervous and smiles as he thinks _'Wow, pervy sage afraid of a girl...besides Tenten? Never thought I'd see the day.'_

Hana looks back at Naruto and says "This is my mother and the current leader of our clan; Tsume Inazuka. Mom, this is...actually, what is your name, kid?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, shino...I mean, I'm pervy sage's apprentice" said Naruto.

Tsume laughs hard as she leans forward and says "Pervy Sage, huh? I like that one."

"Yes, but anyways...is our tracker ready yet?" asked Jiraiya who was getting more nervous while Tsume kept eying him up like a piece of meat.

"Yes, but there was something I wanted to ask you" said Tsume as she becomes more serious.

"What is it?" asked Jiraiya.

"As you know, this little request is costing you a pretty penny seeing as it involves going outside Shumoa territory. But, if you agree to a little something, I'd be willing to give this one to you as a free-be" said Tsume.

"And what would that be?" asked Jiraiya, hoping it wasn't what he thought it would be.

"Instead of a skilled tracker, would you have any problems with a novice instead. You see, I have two children, my daughter Hana here and a younger son, Kiba, who's around the same age as your apprentice. I've been looking for something like this to use as a test for Kiba for a while now to see if he's learning all that he needs to learn in order to become a leader for our clan in the future. If you agree to accept him, then I'll give you a full refund and say that this mission is on the house" said Tsume.

Jiraiya scratches his chin and says "Well getting my money back would help in the long run. Is your son reliable?"

Tsume nods and says "He has shown great promise in his training. But like I said, I haven't had a chance to give him a real training experience by sending him out into the field. So you accepting this deal would help us and we would also owe you one along side your money back" said Tsume.

After another moment to think about it, Jiraiya nods and says "OK, you have a deal."

"Great" said Tsume as she smiles wickedly at Jiraiya. She then looks at Tsume and says "Go take them to Kiba and help him get ready. Then meet me at the front door when you're ready."

After leaving the room and they begin to walk down the hall again, Naruto ask "So, your younger brother is to be the next leader and not you? I guess the Inazuka are a bit more complex when it comes to women in charge."

Hana, understanding what he was saying/asking, shakes her head and says "Not at all. In our clan, either male or female can lead. Gender in meaningless to us. It's skill and leadership ability that determines who is the head of the pack. Mom did ask me if I wanted to succeed her, but I turned her down. Truth be told, I prefer being an adviser to the head than the head myself. It's easier and if there's a screw up, then I can escape the blame too hah hah"

After another couple of minutes walking, they came to a stop outside of a rather mangy looking door and they could hear some music coming from the room beyond, as well as someone singing...or at least trying to sing and sucking badly at it.

Smiling an evil smile, Hana quietly opens the door and they step inside to the sight of a young boy of thirteen wearing only black pants doing some weird dance while his back was turned to them.

"Yeah, so what if I'm a dog? You'd be wise to lock up your daughter's 'cause I make them really howl. Wow, oh wow; this dog in on the prowl. And before this night is done, She'll be wrapped around me like a towel" sings Kiba before he brings his hands back behind his head and starts humping air.

Hana just shakes her head before walking over to Kiba's record player and pulls the needle off of the vinyl. The sudden loss of his music makes Kiba spin to looking at her. "Hey sis, what are you doing? I was working on my game here."

"Oh, your game, huh?" said Hana as she nods. "Well then, by all means. Keep working on your game while we have clients here with me."

Kiba pales as he looks back at the door and see Naruto and Jiraiya. "Um, you didn't see any of that, right?"

"Us, oh no?" said Naruto as he shakes his head. "Just some break dancing, singing, and humping is all."

Kiba grabs his head as he looks into the sky in a freak out moment while screaming "AW DAMMIT."

"Anyways tiger, get some clothes on and get packed. Mom finally landed you your official off site training mission" instructed Hana as she was already working on pulling Kiba's travel pack out and blowing the dust off.

"What, seriously? Alright" said Kiba as he had forgotten about what had just happened. He then runs over to his bed and says "Hey, Akamaru. Wake up boy. We finally got some work to do."

The covers rustle a little before a small white puppy emerges, yawns then hops down from the bed and makes his way over to Naruto and Jiraiya to say hello.

After about twenty minutes of watching Kiba pack and finish getting dressed, they walked back to the main entrance while Hana and Jiraiya explained what the mission was about and it's importance. Needless to say, Kiba was really excited to be going on this mission.

As they stepped outside, Tsume greets them, then looks at Kiba and says "My little pup; finally going out into the big world. So, do you remember everything I've taught you about tracking?"

"Of course mom. I promise I won't let you, sis, or our whole clan down" said Kiba.

Tsume nods, then she pets Akamaru, who's sitting atop Kiba's head and says "Make sure he stays out of trouble, little guy."

"Arf" says Akamaru.

After Tsume gives Jiraiya his money back, the perverted sage and the two boys and the puppy say one final goodbye before heading down the road and, upon passing through the far side gate in the village, enter into the Keishu region. And it only took three hours more of traveling before they arrived at the port that would take them to Antana and hopefully, Tsunade.

**Next time: Summoning...a not so warm welcome**


	38. 38 Under Unseen Skies 1

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.38: Under Unseen Skies 1**

The sun shown down brightly and sparkled against the ocean waves as the ship made good time on his course to Antana. Standing near the front of the ship, Naruto gazed out over the clear blue and watched as some dolphins swam alongside the ship and occasionally jumped from the water and making their squeak like noise as if talking to him.

_'It's so peaceful out here' _thought Naruto as he looked away from the dolphins and gazed into the sky.

He was enjoying this quiet serenity and the feel of the wind and the smell of the salt from the water. Like he had thought back during the Wave mission: if becoming Hokage never happened, then he would like to live along the ocean. Maybe even get his own boat and sail around.

And maybe Hinata would be by his side.

The thought of that did make him smile. He wondered if Hinata would like to live by the sea? Naruto's thoughts are then interrupted by a loud crashing sound from below deck, which makes him sigh in exasperation. If his guess was right, that pervy sage had made a pass at the ships navigator.

While Naruto was thinking this, the sound of Kiba laughing comes up onto the deck as Kiba emerges from below and heads over to him. "Hey Naruto, what are you doing up here?"

"Just taking in the view" replied Naruto as he kept looking off into the distance.

"What view? All I can see is ocean after boring ocean" said Kiba as he looks all around them.

"Different people, different taste" suggested Naruto.

"I guess so..." said Kiba as she scratches his head. "Anyway, forget about this for a minute. You just missed the funniest thing ever down below."

"Let me guess, pervy sage tried to grope the navigator?" asked Naruto, not really caring right now.

"Both her and the ships linguist slash scribe. Not that I don't blame him as both have seriously packing the pillows if you know what I mean. And when he started to do that, then played a little grab ass with them, the ships cook got pissed as hell and proceeded to do some crazy kick boxing on him" said Kiba.

"Eh, like that will make him learn anything" said Naruto, waving it off as no big deal.

"Boy Naruto, I'm surprised. I'd think you'd be a little more interested in this than you are" said Kiba.

"Impressed by the level of perversity that old fart can achieve? I'll take a pass, thank you" said Naruto before turning and looking at Naruto. "By the way, where's Akamaru at?"

"He's in the captains cabin, catching some shut eye for the moment" said Kiba as he looked to the upper deck. He then looks back and says "Strange crew this ship has, huh?"

Naruto nods and says "Interesting is one way to put it. The captain is just insane, the commander is always carrying those three sword with him. The gunner keeps going on that he's captain. The cook always has a cigarette in his mouth. The navigator seems to like dressing all skanky. The scribe, well, she's actually normal from what I've seen so far. And I don't even know how to describe the doctor?"

"Yeah, this one is a real piece of work if you ask me" replied Kiba, infer the ship and its crew. "Speaking of which, the commander said he'd help me with some training later. Said it would be good exercise for him."

"That's cool" said Naruto as he returns to watching the water pass by. "At least you're getting some training done."

A sudden crashing sound from behind them sends Naruto and Kiba spinning to see Jiraiya crashing into the deck with the red faced with anger navigator screaming "And don't you dare leave the deck again or I'll really kick your ass." And with that, she turns and slams the door to the lower deck shut hard.

"OOOOHHHHH, I think I'm in love" groaned out Jiraiya as his body twitched in pain.

Naruto and Kiba look at each other for a second before walking over to Jiraiya. "Hey pervy sage, you alright?"

Jiraiya turns his head and looks at Naruto, then says "Oh yeah, I'm fine."

"Sure about that?" asked Kiba as he and Naruto help Jiraiya back onto his feet.

"No, not really. But it doesn't matter" said Jiraiya as he pats Naruto on the shoulder. "After all, we have some training to do."

Though Naruto still doubted Jiraiya's skills, despite what Kakashi-sensei and old man Hokage had told him, he figured he might as well humor him and see what he had to offer. "About time, ya old pervert. So, what are you gonna be teaching me? Is it the sky walking power?"

Jiraiya shakes his head and says "I was joking about that one. Sky walking is way to advance for any regular shinobi. Even Kakashi can't do it. That power can only be achieved by a Kage and even then, mastering it is nearly impossible for most."

"Then what are you planning on teaching me?" asked Naruto.

"I've done a lot of thinking on this issue and I have decided that teaching you the Summoning Jutsu would be for the best at this time. Are you familiar with the art of summoning, Naruto?"

"Well, I know Kakashi-sensei can summon dogs to help him out. But I'm not sure on just how it works, though" said Naruto as he takes a seat atop a barrel on deck while Kiba rest against the railing along the side of the deck.

Jiraiya himself leans against the mast and says "I'll try to explain it as best I can, then. Basically, the summoning technique is a variation on the teleportation jutsu. Do you know about that one, Naruto?"

Naruto nods and says "Yeah, I've seen Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei use it a few times to get around the village quickly. I've heard it can also be used on the battlefield within reason too."

"That is true. In order to use the teleportation jutsu, one must be able to visualize the spot you wish to teleport to perfectly. And even then, the maximum range for this jutsu is five hundred yards from in any direction around you" explained Jiraiya.

"So how does summoning connect with teleportation?" asked Naruto.

"Well, think of summoning as a form or reverse teleportation. Instead of sending yourself to another location as you would through teleporting, you are calling something to you from another location. By making a series of hand signs, then pressing your hand against the ground, you can use the spot you touched as the center point for the summoning" explained Jiraiya.

"OK, so what good does summoning do?" asked Naruto.

"Lot's of things, actually" said Jiraiya as he pulls away from the mast. "As I'm sure you know, Kakashi uses his ninja hounds he can summon to help him track down targets. He can also have them aid him in battle if needed. A creature that is summoned can also sneak around and gather information on your behalf."

"I can see were that would be useful" said Naruto as he thought about it. "So, what do I do first?"

"Well, the first order of business is to sign a contract with one of the summoning clans that exist for this service. In my case, I have a contract with the toads of Mt. Myoboku. And, if you're fine with it; you can also make a pact with them."

"Sure" said Naruto as Jiraiya breaks into a quick series of hand signs, then presses his hand to the ground. A seal expands outwards from where he's touching and burst into smoke. The ocean breeze quickly blows the smoke away to reveal a large toad, the size of a St. Bernard standing before them with a large scroll strapped to its back.

Jiraiya walks up and removes the scroll from the back of the toad, who nods at Naruto and says "So, you the new kid we been hearing about?"

"Yeah, that's me...I guess. I'm Naruto."

"Names Gamafujo; scroll guard on Mt. Myoboku.

Naruto then looks at Jiraiya and ask "So, how does he know about me?"

Jiraiya replies "I tell you later. For now, we need to focus on the training." Jiraiya then opens the scroll and rolls it out for Naruto to look at. Across the scroll were the names and hand prints of past signers and Naruto noticed Jiraiya's name near the end where the scroll went into blank spaces.

"OK Naruto, the first thing you should do is sign your name onto the scroll, then place a hand print under your name to finalize the contract" instructed Jiraiya.

"Easy enough" said Naruto as he walked over and knelt down beside the scroll. "So, do you have a pen or any ink for me to use."

"Actually, Naruto. We don't sign the scroll with ink. We sign with our blood. That's why the writing and hand prints are red in color" said Jiraiya.

"Wow, that sounds a little morbid and masochistic if you ask me" says Kiba off to the side.

Jiraiya shakes his head and says "Not really. Think of it as a blood pact of sorts. It's a kind of special link between the pact maker, Naruto, and the sacred beast, which would be the toads in this case. In fact, it's a relationship not unlike what you have with Akamaru."

"Oh, makes sense" said Kiba.

"Has to be blood, huh? Well, I've heard weirder things" said Naruto before pulling out a kunai and making a small cut onto a finger. He then signs his name down before drawing a little more blood, which he rubs on his right hand before pressing it down onto the scroll.

After a moment of pressing it down, Naruto lifts his hand away and sees the blood he had placed onto the scroll glowing. The glow fades after a few seconds, then the scroll automaticly rolls up and jumps back onto the back of the scroll guardian toad.

"Well, that's that. Is there anything else, Jiraiya?" asked Gamafujo.

"No, that will be all for now. Thanks for coming, Gamafujo" said Jiraiya, earning a nod from the orange and red colored toad before he makes a hand sign and disappears.

"OK, so what now, pervy sage?" asked Naruto.

"Now I'll teach you the hand signs for the summoning jutsu. Watch carefully, Naruto" instructed Jiraiya as he begins.

"Now Naruto, the first order of business is to gather chakra into the hand that you used to sign the contract with. In this case, your right hand. Once you're ready, you will make the following hand signs; Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, and Sheep, then press your hand on the ground to activate the jutsu. Normally, you would usually say Summoning Jutsu as you do this, but that's just for effect and not actually required. Now, you do it" instructed Jiraiya.

Following the instructions given, Naruto transfers some chakra into his right hand, then makes the hand signs. He then presses his hand against the ground, creating a seal that expands outwards before bursting in a smoke cloud around his hand.

And when the smoke cleared, a small tadpole was seen flapping around upon the ground.

"HUH. This isn't a toad" says Naruto while Kiba burst out laughing.

"A tadpole? Yeah, that would make anyone have seconds thoughts about fighting you" says Kiba's between his laughs before laughing even harder.

"Good work, Naruto" said Jiraiya as he walks up, bends down, and presses a finger to the tadpole, sending it teleporting back home.

"Say what?" said Naruto and Kiba in unison.

Jiraiya looks at them and says "What? You were expecting to summon a full grown toad on your first try?" He then chuckles while shaking his head. "Naruto, that wasn't the purpose of this first test. All I wanted to see is if you could make the proper hand signs and actually summon."

"I don't understand" said Naruto in response.

"Well, just because you signed the contract doesn't mean you can actually summon. Believe it or not, there are some people who, even if they make a pact with one of the summoning clans, can't actually preform the summoning for some reason. Also, there's an issue of compatibility. With this test, I wanted to see if you actually could summon a toad or not, even if it was just an infant. The fact that you did means that you can actually call upon the toad tribe if needed at any time" said Jiraiya.

"Hm, I never knew that" said Naruto.

"Yeah, me neither. Not that I know much about jutsu like that" adds Kiba.

"You're both still young, so don't worry about it. In time, you'll learn plenty of other things you never even knew existed in our world" said Jiraiya.

"OK pervy sage, so what's next? Do I try to summon something more than just a tadpole?" asked Naruto.

Jiraiya shakes his head and says "Not today. Summoning more useful toads requires you to use a set amount of chakra. And the amount of chakra determines the overall size and power of the toad being summoned."

"So, just how big can they get?" asked Kiba, interrupting Jiraiya.

Jiraiya scratches his chin, then says "Well, many are about the same size as your average toad or frog, if not a tad bit bigger. But the bigger ones...well, let me put it to you this way. There's a couple who are so big that if summoned, they would crush this boat under one of its webbed feet."

Kiba's eyes nearly burst from his head in disbelief as he shouts out "No freak-n' way?"

Jiraiya nods, then says "I kid you not. In big battles against large enemy forces, just one of the giant warrior toads will be a big help in achieving victory." Jiraiya then looks back at Naruto and says "Back to what I was saying before; We'll work on helping you figure out just how much chakra you will need to use for better summoning after we arrive at Antana. For now, I just want you to practice with the hand signs."

"Why, I already know them now" said Naruto.

"True, but you took four seconds to make them as you were being slow and accurate in that first attempt. In situations where summoning could be helpful, you will likely need to summon quickly. That's why I want you to practice for now. See if you can go from fours seconds to just a second, if not quicker, while still being accurate with each hand sign. Once you can make them in around a second, then we'll move on to chakra usage" said Jiraiya.

Naruto looks down at his hands and says "You got a point there."

As Naruto begins to work on it, Kiba goes to stand and says "I leave you alone then, Naruto. I'm gonna go see if Akamaru is awake yet, then see if that guy with the three swords is ready to train with me."

"Yeah, I got a few things I gotta do too" said Jiraiya as he also goes to return to the lower deck.

"What about what the navigator warned you about if you went below deck again?" asked Naruto.

"Oh, don't worry about me. After all, it will be a good chance to try out my concealment jutsu" said Jiraiya before he begins to laugh pervertedly.

Naruto sighs as he watches them leave the deck. He had a good feeling he'd be hearing the sounds of Jiraiya screaming in pain here soon. Oh well, it's the only way he was going to learn. Returning to his training, Naruto goes to make the first hand sign again when the feeling rushes over him again.

After looking around, he walks over to the railing and looks out over the sea. Ever since they had left port, Naruto had been getting a strange feeling; like someone or something was out here and trying to commune with him.

_'Someone...is calling me' _thought Naruto as he looked out over the endless expanse of the deep blue.

**(Antana; Chin-Xi Kingdom, port of Bei-shao)**

"OOOHHHH, I feel terrible" groaned Jiraiya as Naruto and Kiba helped him along the pier as they headed into town. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you suppose to treat your passenger's with respect?"

Naruto sighs before saying "That is true, but most passenger's aren't sexual predators who try to molest the female grew members multiple times."

"I did no such thing. I simply asked them if they wanted to help me with my research" retorts Jiraiya.

"And after they said no and kicked you out of the lower decks, you snuck back in and observed them in the bathing area and when you were caught being invisible in there, by you losing focus and the concealment jutsu wearing off, they approached you, you fell, and felt up the navigator in the process" says Naruto.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to touch the twin melons she had" says Jiraiya in his own defense.

"Yeah right, ya damn old pervert. You're just lucky you made it here in one piece after that little incident" says Kiba, getting a nod of agreement from Naruto.

"Alright, alright, I get the message. I'll be a good boy from now on" says Jiraiya.

"Sure you will" replied Naruto, not believing a word of it. "So, what do we do now, pervy sage?"

"Sit me down over there and I'll tell you" instructed Jiraiya, pointing to a small bench under a tree.

Once they had done this, Jiraiya takes a moment to lean back and relax before saying "OK, first thing we'll do is see if Tsunade is even here in Bei-shao."

"And how do we do that? Start asking around?" questioned Naruto.

"We could do that, but I was thinking more along the lines of this" said Jiraiya as he reaches into his sage garments and pulls out a sealed plastic bag that held light green colored panties inside. "Kiba, I want you and Akamaru to sniff these to get Tsunade's scent and see if you can pick her up here in the port town."

"That's really perverted, old man" said Kiba as he looked at the bag.

"Just where the heck did you get those?" shouts Naruto.

"What, these? I've had them for years. I...got them from Tsunade to remember her by and have kept them ever since" replied Jiraiya.

"Yeah right" said Naruto, not believing that they were a gift.

"If you've had them for years, then I doubt they will still retain her scent even if they have been kept inside of that bag" adds Kiba.

"Don't worry about that. I used a special seal I created to maintain them at the state they were in when I first stole...I mean, was given them. After all, I knew that there was a chance I would need to find her quickly and these could help with tracking her by her scent" said Jiraiya.

"Ha, I knew it" says Naruto, catching the "stole" said by Jiraiya.

"Shut up" retorts Jiraiya as he breaks the seal and opens the bag. "Now kid, time to earn your keep."

"Right" said Kiba as he takes the bag from Jiraiya and sticks his nose into the bag while clamping down on the sides, then takes several deep sniffs. Once he was done, he does the same thing with Akamaru so he could get the scent. Once done, he gives the bag back to Jiraiya.

"Did you get it?" asked Jiraiya.

"Yeah, we did" said Kiba before mentally adding _'And I got your scent off them too. I just hope that doesn't mean what I think it means cause if it does, I'm gonna puke and I'll need to sterilize my nose when this is done.'_

"So can you pick her scent up yet?" asked Naruto.

"Give us a second" replies Kiba as he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small metal case just slightly bigger than his hand. He then opens the case up and pulls out two small pills and hands one to Akamaru, then eats the other one himself.

"What are those, Kiba?" asked Naruto.

"Just the pills that will enhance both mine and Akamaru's range so we can smell anything within a two mile radius. Now, let's get with the smelling" said Kiba before he and Akamaru begin sniffing the air while moving their heads around.

For a few minutes, Naruto and Jiraiya remained quiet as they did their job. Finally, Kiba lets out a sigh before looking at Jiraiya and says "Sorry, old man. I can't pick her up anywhere. Guess that means she hasn't been around here in a good while." Akamaru barks in agreement.

"I didn't think she'd be around here. If she was going to be this easy to find, then this mission wouldn't be as fun" said Jiraiya before standing up under his own power.

"So, what now, pervy sage?" asked Naruto.

"Well, seeing as the sun's already setting. We'll find an inn to stay at tonight then we'll start asking around about Tsunade in the morning. If we're really lucky, maybe someone will have seen her, know of her name, and maybe even know were we can go to find her" said Jiraiya.

"Sounds like a plan" said Kiba who was getting tired and hungry anyways.

"I think that building over there may be an inn" said Naruto, pointing a building with a large hanging sign that was just a few blocks down from them.

"Well then, let's go see if they are" says Jiraiya as they begin heading towards the building.

As they move away, none of them notice a figure watching them from the shadows for a few more moments. Once they had entered the building, the man quickly moves away, running down the road as he heads off to report to his superior about these new arrivals.

Later that night, the four of them were staying in their room. Kiba was obviously asleep from the sounds of his snoring and Akamaru was curled up beside him, unaffected by his snoring. Naruto, unable to sleep, looks over at Jiraiya and ask "Hey, you awake pervy sage?"

After a brief pause, he hears "Yeah, I see you are two? Is it Kiba's snoring?"

Naruto shakes his head and says "Not really, I guess I just have a lot of stuff on my mind. By the way, there was something I was wanting to ask about the summoning jutsu."

"What is it?" asked Jiraiya.

"Well, if Kakashi-sensei ever decides to teach me how to summon the dogs like he can and assuming I'm compatible with them, would I be able to actually do it seeing as I already have a contract with the toads?" asked Naruto.

"Assuming you're compatible, then yes so long as you use your left hand in the pact. Most people can have two contracts at a time with the summon tribes unless they possess a special power that allows them to have more than the two normally allowed" said Jiraiya.

"Can a person break the contract?" wondered Naruto.

"Yeah. You can do it willingly or if you violate the rules of the contract. And by violate, I mean if you are in danger of dying and you summon just for the sake of using the animal summoned as a sacrifice to save yourself for example" said Jiraiya.

"Who would do something so horrible?" asked Naruto.

"Believe me, there are people out there who would summon just to sacrifice in order to save their lives as they don't see the summoned being in any serious light. Now, try to get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us" instructed Jiraiya as he closes his eyes. Naruto nods as he turns on his side and closes his eyes as well.

The next morning, they had gotten directions to a local eatery which was frequented by many people in Bei-shao as well as travelers from all across Antana. While eating breakfast, Jiraiya showed the owner a picture of Tsunade as well as told him her name and asked if he had seen her. Getting a no in response, Jiraiya held the picture up and asked everyone else who was inside the building at the time, getting a negative in response. Sighing, he returned to his table and finished eating with the boys. Once done, they left the eatery. As soon as they exited, two figures looked at one another and nod as they both get up; one fallowing after the Shumoan's and the other heading out the back door.

"Well, what now?" asked Kiba.

Jiraiya pulls out two additional pictures of Tsunade and gives them to the boys, then says "We'll split up and ask around the city for now. We'll meet up back at the inn at sun down and go from there."

"Excuse me, but can I see that picture again" came a voice from behind them.

They turned to see a man dressed like he worked at the docks walking up to them. "Weren't you in the eatery?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah" said the man as Jiraiya hands him the picture. After looking over it for a second, he says "I haven't seen her before, but she does fit the discription of a women a friend of mine encountered a few months back."

"Are you sure about that? Where is this friend of yours?" asked Jiraiya.

"He...runs an underground shop around here. You know, hush hush products. I'll take you to see him. But be warned, if he does know anything, he'll likely charge you for it" said the man.

"Not a problem" replied Jiraiya. The man nods and leads them down the street. After about ten minutes, they turn and enter into the cities ally ways where the move quickly and duck around the various dark corners. Soon, they entered into a small opened area surrounded on all sides with large walls were the come to a stop.

"So, are we almost there?" asked Jiraiya.

"Yeah, we're here..." said the man as he turns to look at them, then raises his hand into the air and balls his hand into a fist.

The next thing they know, they are surrounded on all sides by men dressed dark garments that were similar to ninja garments. "What is this?" demands Jiraiya.

"My appalogies, outsiders. But you are asking some curious question's around here, which makes you potential dangers. So...well, you'll know soon enough" said the man before making a twirling motion with his raised fist.

One of the men pulls out a metal ball and tosses it onto the ground before the three trapped Shumoan's, releasing a cloud of green smoke from within.

"Hey, what is this?" shouts Naruto.

"It's...I think it's...sleeping...ga...s" says Kiba before his eyes role into the back of his head and passes out, falling onto the ground with an unconscious Akamaru laying beside him.

"Damn, I was...careless..." mumbles out Jiraiya before he also falls asleep as well.

"Pervy sage, Kiba, Akamaru" shouts Naruto as he leans down and shakes them, getting no response in return. He then looks up at their captor and says "What did you do?"

"What? Impossible? You should be out cold as well" said the man in surprise.

Naruto growls before rushing at the man and brings his fist up to attack him. But two of the men jump in and tackle Naruto, holding him in place while a third comes in from behind and slams the hilt of his sword hard against Naruto's head, knocking him out from the blow.

"He's done, sir" came the man with the blade.

"Good. I now want you to search them and remove any items they have from them, then take them back to the base and lock them up for now. I'll go report to the boss and see what he wants to do with them" said the lead man.

As the gathered men get to work, the leader looks at Naruto, then walks off while thinking _'Odd, he wasn't affected like the others. That sleep gas was powerful enough to bring down an elephant, yet he wasn't effected at all. Why does that sound so familiar? Hopefully, boss will know something.'_

**next time: prisoners...the Djinn...Hinata's first mission begins**


	39. 39 Under Unseen Skies 2

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.39: Under Unseen Skies 2**

"Hey let us out of here. I know you guys can hear me out there" shouts Kiba while attempting to shake the sturdy and solid iron bars of the cell the four of them were currently in.

"Arf" barks out Akamaru in agreement.

"Kiba, just sit down and relax. There's no need to waste energy on trying to get then to come back here right now" said Jiraiya from Kiba's right.

Kiba looks back at him with an annoyed look on his face and says "Say what? Have you forgotten what our situation in here is, old man? We're prisoners of some unknown group who plan on doing Kami knows what to us. So how can I be calm at a time like this?"

"Simple; just think about our current situation for a second. Yes, it is true we're prisoners right now. And it is true we were hit with sleeping gas and brought to an known location. But I think, besides all of that, that we'll be OK" said Jiraiya.

Kiba cocks hos head in confusion, then ask "How do you figure?"

"Well, besides taking our packs and anything that could have been used to escape with from us, they haven't mistreated us all that much, apart from locking us in a cell. They feed us and give us drink. None of us have been tortured as of yet, and every several hours, someone comes along to check up on us and to make sure we're both still here and are doing OK" said Jiraiya.

"What about those question's they asked us after we'd all woken up?" asked Kiba.

"Most likely just to gather information about us. Right now, I think they're likely verifying what we said" replied Jiraiya.

Kiba goes silent for a second, then ask "Do you think we'll be alright?"

"So long as they don't determine that we're enemies to them, then yeah, we should be OK" said Jiraiya.

"And if they do?" asked Kiba.

"We'll deal with that possibility when and if it comes us. For now, just sit down and relax; conserve your energy. After all, you may need it later" said Jiraiya.

"Fine...fine" said Kiba, slumping in defeat before waddling off to the side and sitting on the ground and resting his back against the stone wall. Akamaru walks up and lays beside him and Kiba begins running his hand along Akamaru's back.

Jiraiya takes a moment to look at him, then he looks over to Naruto who was laying back on the bench on the far side of the cell. Though he appeared to be asleep due to his eyes being closed, Jiraiya knew that he was still wide awake. What he didn't know was what it was Naruto was doing right now.

Was he meditating? Was he lost in thought? Or was it something he couldn't possibly think off?

Naruto had been the first one to regain consciousness as he had been the only one not effected by the sleep gas; likely due to the power of Kyubi and that advantages that came from being a Jinchurriki. Instead, he had been knock out by a strong blow to the back of his head and had only needed a few minutes to snap back to consciousness from that. By then, they were already in the cell.

Naruto had woken Kiba, Akamaru, and Jiraiya himself up and as they tried to figure out where they were and how to escape. The man who had led them into the trap had arrived and had told them that they were prisoners of the Underground, but didn't explain what that meant. He had then asked them some question's about who they were, where they came from, and what had brought them to Antana.

When the talk was over, he had left them alone. That had been two days ago.

_'I'll give this three more days. After that, I'll summon some help in so we can make an escape. After all, our search for Tsunade can't be held up for to long because of something like this' _thought Jiraiya as he looks to the cell door.

Truth be told, the only reason he had allowed this to go on as long as it did was he wanted to learn more about this Underground group and he was hoping that, if they found them to not be enemies, they might be able to help with finding Tsunade.

He then looks back at Naruto and a concerned look comes over his face. _'Naruto, why do I get the feeling you're hiding something from me and Sarutobi-sensei.'_

**(Underground-darkened room)**

A knock at the door brought the leader of the group up from his reading over the latest report on the enemies movement. "Enter" he said as he rolled up the paper and slid it inside his desk for later.

A tall and lean man entered, saying "Sorry boss, but I thought you'd want the results on those three prisoners we have."

"That's fine. So, what have we learned about them?" asked the leader.

"Well, we can confirm that all three are from Shumoa and that they have no ties with the Emperor or the Imperial Court. The brown haired kid with the puppy is indeed related to the famed family of bounty hunters and the old man has been confirmed to be the Jiraiya by one of our men who reads those trashy books he writes."

"Hey, I read those trashy books as well. Gives me and the wife some fun ideas if you know what I mean" said the leader as he leans forward and smirks a little.

The lean man sighs before saying "You're a disgrace, sir."

"Yeah, yeah" said the leader, waving that off. "And what about the boy?"

"He's a mystery at the moment. Jiraiya said that the boy was his apprentice. But we haven't found anything to confirm this as fact. But then again, he might have been taken on recently as our information on Jiraiya is missing some details. And..."

"And?" asked the leader.

"Shu felt something odd about the boy when they were being placed inside their cells."

"What did he sense?" asked the leader.

"That boy, Naruto, has a feel about him similar to lord High Djinn."

"I see..." said the leader as he turns away and sits back, scratching his chin as he thinks.

After a moment, the lean man ask "So, what do we do with them?"

The leader looks back at the lean man and says "Bring to to see me in the main audience chambers. I'd like to talk to them personally myself. I'll make my final decision after we're done talking."

"Yes sir" said the lean man before turning and exiting the room.

**(cell)**

The sound of foot steps brought the captive foursome to attention as the lean man came walking up along with several guards. To their surprise, the man unlocks the door and enters into the cell. "Get up; we're going for a walk."

"Mind telling us what this is all about?" asked Jiraiya while standing up.

"Our leader would like to have a little chat with you four. And depending on how that goes, well...we'll just have to wait and see now, won't we?" said the lean man before motioning for them to exit the cell.

Once they were out of the cell and surrounded by guards, they began to walk down the hall and through the interior of the building they were in. "So, mind telling us about your boss and about you guys in general?" asked Kiba.

"Any question's you may have will be answered by our leader if he so feels like giving any answer's. Till then, just remain quiet and don't try anything funny. After all, you four our still considered our prisoners here" said the lean man.

Soon enough, they arrived outside a large double door and the lean man walked forward and said in a loud voice "Sir, I've brought the prisoners as you requested."

"Send them is" was the reply he got.

The lean man opened the door and stepped inside followed by Jiraiya, Naruto, and Kiba while the other guards following behind them. Once inside, the four Shumoan's finally saw the leader of this Underground as he stood up from his chair and moved to greet them.

"Sorry for our lack of hospitality and for holding you in a cell for the last few days. But once I explain the situation to you, I'm sure you'll understand" said the leader.

"Yeah, I doubt that" grumbled Kiba in an annoyed tone.

"Kiba, be nice" warned Jiraiya before looking back at the leader and saying "Sorry about that."

The leader shakes his head and replies "It's all right. We have gotten off on the wrong foot after all, so he's entitled to his feelings. I take it that you are the great sage Jiraiya?"

"That's right" replied Jiraiya.

The leader then looks at Naruto and Kiba and says "I'm guessing, by the way he's dressed, the blonde haired kid is your apprentice and the brown haired kid with the puppy sitting on his head is your tracker?"

"Correct. This is Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inazuka. The puppy is Akamaru" replied Jiraiya.

"How about you?" asked Naruto to the leader.

"My name is Choza Akamichi; leader of the resistance movement known as Underground" said the large bodied, long red haired man. He then looks at the guards and says "That will be all for now, men. Return to your stations."

The guards nod, then leave the room. When they were gone, Choza looks at the lean man and says "This here is my second in command, Horo. Hope he hasn't been to strict with you. He does have a tendency to get carried away with his duties."

"It's only because I want to keep us alive and safe, Choza" retorts Horo.

"Don't worry about it. As far as being prisoners goes, we weren't treated as badly as we could have been" replied Jiraiya.

"That's good to hear" said Choza before making a motion to the chairs gathered before his desk. "Well, why don't you take a seat as we have much to discuss."

**(Temple of Ama)**

"Miss Tenten, are you in here?"

Tenten poked her head around the corner and replied "map oo ant?"

"Miss Tenten, please take that blade from your mouth before you speak."

Tenten, remembering that she was doing some solo training right now, reaches up and pulls the dagger she was holding with her clenched teeth out, then says "Sorry, forgot about that. So, what do you want?"

"Lady Sakuya has called for you and Hinata to come see her in her office right away."

_'Does this mean she has mission for us?' _wondered Tenten before saying "Alright. Let me put this stuff up and go find Hinata, then we'll go see what she wants."

Getting a nod from her fellow Sister, the girl turns and leaves Tenten alone. After putting all but that dagger away, Tenten starts to leave the room, but stops and quickly spins around and throws the dagger outwards, landing a perfect bulls eye on a rather crappy artistic drawing of Jiraiya. But the bulls eye wasn't Jiraiya's face, if you get what I'm saying, but a little further south.

"Watch your back, old man" said Tenten with a hint of satisfaction in her voice before retrieving her dagger and exiting the room.

"Now, where would Hinata be right now?" wondered Tenten aloud as she stood out in the hall.

Finding the answer to be obvious, Tenten heads off to the temples archive chamber, where Hinata spent much of her free time studying up on various details about the order, types of Makian's existed, and the various types of healing arts they had developed over time.

Arriving at her destination, Tenten quietly sneaks in and immediately hears the sound of humming. Following the sound, Tenten quickly spots Hinata walking around while she was busy reading a book. Tenten couldn't help but giggle at seeing Hinata as she had a spring in her step and had an aura about her that she hadn't had before that little date with Naruto.

"So, was your first kiss really all that?" asked Tenten.

Hinata jumps, dropping the book she was reading onto the floor. She then spins around with her cheeks red and in a flustered tone, says "Tenten...when did you get here?"

Tenten walks forward while saying "Just a moment ago. I was looking for you, actually." She then stops before Hinata and leans in very close to her and ask "So tell me, were you thinking about Naruto? About the kiss he ravished upon your soft, moist lips?"

Hinata's blush goes nuclear across her face and she responds in nonsensical stutters and spurts of various words. Tenten smiles as she adds "If a simple kiss could do this to you, then imagine how you'll be when you and Naruto take it even further than a kiss."

"Even...further..." said Hinata before she got what Tenten was hinting at, and promptly passes out from the sudden rush of blood to her head.

Tenten burst out laughing before leaning down and shaking Hinata. "Boy, if just thoughts of sex can do this to you, then the actual act is gonna be the death of you. Still, it's not a bad way to die."

Once Tenten had managed to wake Hinata up and helped back to her feet, she says "Alright, we can continue this later. Sakuya is wanting to see us."

"What about?" asked Hinata.

"My guess is a mission. So, you think you'll be up for it?" asked Tenten.

"Only one way to find out" replied Hinata as they left the archival room and headed to Sakuya's office.

Once they arrived and had entered the room, Tenten realizes that her guess was indeed correct as there were three other girls already inside besides Sakuya. Once she and Hinata were standing beside their fellow Sister's, Sakuya begins her explanation.

"OK; earlier this morning, we received reports of Makian's attacking a small mountain town over southern Shauti region. We are unsure of just how many or if anyone has been killed, but this still bares investigation. To that end, the five of you will head to this village under the guise of healers there to aid the people in healing. Should more attacks happen, then defend the village as best you can without being discovered and, if possible, find the Makai gate that has opened and closed it" said Sakuya.

"So, is it just the five of us?" asked Tenten.

"For the moment as you five are the only ones available at this time. Tenten, you will be in charge as you have the most experience" instructed Sakuya before looking at the green haired girl with the pony tail and said "Kumi, you'll be Tenten's second."

"Understood, ma'am" replied Kumi.

"Ai, Izumi, and Hinata. Work hard and follow their orders, understand?" said Sakuya.

"Right" said Ai, a girl with short purple hair that sported pig tails along the side.

"Yes ma'am" said Izumi, a girl with dark skin and long raven black hair that reached to the small of her back.

"I won't let anyone down" said Hinata.

Sakuya nods and says "Good. Now, go prepare and once you five are ready set out and good hunting."

**(Underground)**

Once they had all taken their seats, Choza pulls out the picture of Tsunade that had been taken from Jiraiya and holds it up, asking "So, it is my understanding that you are searching for this woman. Is that correct?"

Jiraiya nods, saying "Yes, her name is Tsunade Senju. Have you seen her by any chance?"

Choza shakes his head and says "Unfortunately, no. And I have already asked all of my men who are currently here and none of them recognize her either.. May I ask why you're searching for her?"

"Not at all. Both Tsunade and myself share the same master from our youth. However, he has recently taken ill and as much as I hate to say it, his time has likely finally come. So, he has asked me to find her and bring her back so he could see us one last time and give to us the things he wishes for us to have once he has passed on" said Jiraiya.

"I see..." said Choza as he looks at her picture again. "Well, I can't promise anything, but I'll have my men and contacts all around Chin-Xi ask and look around. Maybe if we get lucky, we might be able to find something on her."

"That would be helpful" said Jiraiya. "But we can only give you three days before we would need to leave to continue the search ourselves, just so you know."

"Any reason for the rush?" asked Choza.

"Our master knows that finding her will be difficult, if not impossible. And though he would wait for ever if he could for me to find her, his doctor has informed me that he has only a month at best left in him. Because of this, we can't afford to stay in one place for to long unless you can give us absolute assurance that you could find her in less than that month I have to look" explained Jiraiya.

"I understand. Very well, we'll let you go if we haven't found anything in the next three days. Till then, you and the youths with you shall be our guest" said Choza, not failing to notice his second in command tense up from hearing him say that.

Choza then looks at Naruto and ask "So, your Jiraiya's apprentice? Though we have heard of Jiraiya in these parts, mainly due to his series of books being available in Chin-Xi, I was unaware that he had taken on a disciple."

"I only became his student recently, sir. We met when he came to my home village of Tamatsa and discovered that I had the gift that any Sage needs to have" said Naruto, getting a smile from Jiraiya at Naruto's own ability to think up a lie in the spur of the moment.

"Must be a great challenge to be his desirable?" said Choza.

Naruto shakes his head, then replies "The training is easy. Keeping him from being killed by a girl after he molest her; now that's hard."

"NARUTO" shouts Jiraiya in embarrassment.

"Hah hah, he's pegged you on that one, old man" laughs Kiba.

"Indeed" chuckles Choza. He then looks over to Horo and says "Horo, will you show Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru to their rooms."

"Sir?" asked Horo.

"Well, seeing as they'll be staying with us a few days, they will need a place to sleep and it would be rather rude of us to keep them confined to a cell. Also, have some food brought to them too" said Choza.

"What about Jiraiya?" asked Horo.

"I'd like him to hang back a bit for a few minutes. There's a few other details I'd like to discuss with him in private" said Choza in reply.

Horo stands up, saying "Understood, sir." He then looks at Naruto and Kiba and says "Follow me, please."

"Pervy sage?" questioned Naruto to make sure it was OK.

"It's alright, Naruto. I'll be along in a bit" replied Jiraiya.

Nodding, Naruto and Kiba get up and follow Horo out of the room. Once they were alone, Choza gets up and walks over to look at the massive map of the Chin-Xi kingdom and looks at it.

"This is a lot of ground to cover in just three days" said Choza.

Jiraiya gets up himself and says "It is indeed. But, I would think that finding her shouldn't be to hard for you guys. After all, you are a Djinn if I'm not mistaken, right Choza?"

Choza turns to look at Jiraiya, a dark and dangerous look in his eyes as he ask "And why would you say that?"

Jiraiya also becomes serious as he says "Even in Shumoa, we have heard rumors about the current situation about what has been going on here in Chin-Xi. About the fallen swords that once guarded the life of the imperial family; also known as the Djinn, and the man who became Emperor via a coup de ta."

"I see, so our problems have become known to the outside world. I guess that was inevitable" said Choza as he looks away. "We had hoped that no one outside our realm knew about this because of how embarrassing it it. Jiraiya, you should know that Horo and several others believe that you and those boys are really spies sent in to find us."

"That explains his attitude towards us earlier. It's obvious that he still feels that way, but what about you?" asked Jiraiya.

"I personally don't believe it. But the traitor is very powerful and intelligent. He had to be to stage his insurrection and not get the people rising up to take him out for killing the royal imperial family. So it is not impossible that he could have gotten to you and made you and those kids into sleeper agents" said Choza.

"He's really that powerful, huh?" said Jiraiya as he thinks about who this person could be. He then looks at Choza and ask "Would you have a problem with telling me about the situation here in Chin-Xi in full? I'd like to learn more if I can."

Choza nods and says "Of course. It is, after all, the reason I wanted you to stay behind so we could have this talk. Well, we better sit down as this is gonna take w while."

**Next time: Meat ball...the fall of a dynasty...the princess's name...the wanderer**


	40. 40 Under Unseen Skies 3

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.40: Under Unseen Skies 3**

For just a moment, Naruto just laid on the ground, stunned, as his senses slowly came back to him. Looking around, he saw Kiba laying close by with Akamaru poking at him with his nose, trying to get him to move. Groaning, Naruto starts to shift his current position upon the ground.

"Damn...that really hurt" groans Kiba as he finally shows signs of life.

"Well, if you hadn't been messing with that wall in our room, this wouldn't have happened" points out Naruto as he goes from laying on his stomach to sitting on his butt.

"Oh shut up. Besides, you were right there beside me" replies Kiba while still laying on his back. "So, just where the hell are we anyways?"

Looking around the rather large and darkened room, Naruto says "I'm not sure. But there is one thing that's obvious..."

"Yeah, and what's that?" asked Kiba as he finally starts to sit up himself.

"We can't go back the way we came to get back to our room" said Naruto as he looks up at the opening they had slid down on.

Now you're likely wondering just what is going on here? Well, here's basically what happened...

**(flashback)**

Naruto, Kiba, and Horo came to a stop outside a single door at the end of a hall that had several burnt out lights upon the wall. Horo reaches out and opened the door and walks inside while saying "Here's where you'll be staying for the remainder of your stay with us."

As they looked around, they saw three small make-shift beds to one side and a bunch of boxes scattered around. "Is this a guest room or a storage room?" asked Naruto.

"Um..." said Horo as he looks around, then says "You know, I forget what this room was originally. We've been doing some renovations here as of late and we have been converting rooms into storage spaces. Sorry we can't give you anything better right now."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, I've had worse living spaces when I was younger" said Naruto.

Looking around for a second more, Kiba then looks at Horo and ask "So, where's the bathroom?"

"Go back into the hall and take your first left, then the second right and you'll see a sign for the men's bath area" said Horo before adding as he looks at Kiba specifically and says "And don't try to sneak a peek inside the girls area. They won't take to kindly to that stuff."

"Hey, why are you only saying this to me? I'm not the student of a pervert" shouts Kiba.

"True, but Naruto looks like a noble sort, unlike you" said Horo.

As Kiba gripes about that to himself, Horo looks at Naruto and says "Make sure your master knows this when he comes back, just in case I'm not the one who escorts him here."

Naruto nods then says "I will. But knowing that pervert, he'll try to peek anyways."

"Well then, I need to get going and issue the orders to start the search for Tsunade. Once I'm done with that, I'll fetch some food for you all. Is there anything particular you would like?" asked Horo.

Naruto shrugs and says "I'll let you decide. After all, I'm not really sure what you guys actually have."

"Same for us" said Kiba as he looks at Akamaru who yips his agreement.

"Very well then. I'll be back in two hours with your food. Jiraiya should be here by then" said Horo before leaving the room.

"Man, couldn't they have at least given us some decent lodgings while we're here?" complains Kiba before throwing himself onto one of the make-shift beds. "Even this bed sucks. I think I'd be more comfortable sleeping on the floor."

Naruto sits on another bed and says "Would you be happier if we were back inside the cell now?"

"Maybe; at least the beds in there felt better than these sorry excuses for sleeping spots" said Kiba as he gets up and walks over to several stacked boxes.

"Man, I'm so annoyed right now" growls Kiba as he bawls up his fist and starts punching the boxes.

Naruto's eyes go wide as he says "Kiba, don't do that. There could be valuable stuff inside there."

"I hope so" growls Kiba as he punches harder.

Naruto gets up and grabs hold of Kiba's wrist in mid punch to stop him, then gives him a stern look as his way of telling him to stop. "Relax, Naruto. What's the worse that can happen?"

He gets his answer as the boxes creek and come falling toward them. Akamaru quickly ducks under a bed as Naruto and Kiba get buried beneath an avalanche of cardboard. For a second after, there is silence. Then, Kiba's head pops out and looks around.

"Damn, this room is a mess, huh?" asked Kiba.

Naruto explodes out from under the boxes and sends his fist hammering into the top of Kiba's head, shouting "All because of you, ya punch drunk idiot."

Kiba grabs the top of his head and looks at Naruto while shouting "Don't blame me for...say, what's that?"

Kiba pushes the remaining boxes off himself, then walks over to the back wall that is now exposed due to the collapsed boxes. Naruto and Akamaru walk over as well as Kiba places a hand on the wall, then taps it with his fist.

"I thought so. Hey Naruto, this wall is fake. There's a hollow space behind it" said Kiba.

"It's probably just another room, Kiba. Well, that or this room was bigger before they started this renovation Horo talked about. Just leave it alone" suggested Naruto.

Kiba looks back at him and grins, saying "No way. I wanna see what they're hiding back here."

"Kiba..." warned Naruto.

Kiba ignores him as he presses his full body against the wall while saying "If I do this, I'm sure I can opennnnAAHHHHHH."

The wall spins open so quickly that Kiba falls forward. Naruto reacts quickly, reaching out and grabbing the hood of Kiba's jacket. But the sudden slide downwards Kiba was currently going was more than what Naruto was prepared for as he finds himself also falling forward. Even Akamaru, who was trying to help Naruto by biting into his pants leg and pulling comes falling down after them.

The three of them go sliding down and around deeper and deeper till the emerge into the air and go falling right onto the hard ground, knocking the wind out of them as they laid there stunned.

**(flashback end)**

Kiba looks up at the exit point they had fallen from and says "Yeah, you're right. Neither me no Akamaru can jump that. We could use one of our battle techniques. But that might damage the structure."

Naruto walks up to one of the side walls and presses a hand against it for a second before pulling his hand away and saying "And we can't use chakra to climb up either. Something about these walls is resisting the hold of my chakra on it."

"Then what do we do now?" asked Kiba as he picks up Akamaru.

"Let's look around. If we're lucky, we'll find some kind of ground based door we can use to get out of here" said Naruto before he begins to walk down the long, hall like corridor with Kiba following right beside him.

But just as they take their fifth step, they stop as they feel a low rumbling sound upon the ground. "Hey, what's that?" asked Kiba as he looks around nervously.

"I don't know..." said Naruto before turning to look behind them. "But it's coming from behind us."

Kiba turns to looks behind them as well as the rumbling grows. And then, a massive ball of...whatever it was comes rolling around a corner from some ways back and comes racing right at them.

Wide eyed with shock, Kiba shouts "IS THAT A BOULDER? WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?"

Naruto grabs hold of Kiba's wrist as he breaks them both into a fast run while shouting out "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, IDIOT. RUN BEFORE IT FLATTENS US!" 

As the giant ball gains on them, a sound comes blasting out from it.

"AAARRROOOOOMMMMMMM"

**(Jiraiya and Choza)**

Choza and Jiraiya returned to sitting at the conference table and for several seconds, there was silence as Choza collected his thoughts on how to proceed with the explanation. After all, this was a sensitive matter and obviously, not one you would normally share with outsiders.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to explain from the beginning with the founding of the kingdom" said Choza as he looked at Jiraiya.

"Not a problem. I've always had an interest in learning about other lands due to an old student of mine I met and briefly trained during my travels years ago was from a distant land himself" replied Jiraiya.

Choza nods, then looks to the map of the whole empire, saying "It all began several thousand years ago..."

"_It was a time of great turmoil and strife within our land, which at the time was broken up into many smaller nations that were at war with one another over various things. There were many battles and enough bloodshed to soak the lands and the seas a deep crimson from due to the sheer violence of it all._

_As a result, the masses of these lands became angry and cried out for a savior to lead them into a better life than the one they had to endure under this dark age. And their calls would soon be answered by a young man named Lao ti Chin-Xi, the sole survivor of a small village known as Chin which was attacked and torched one night between a clash of the two strongest powers."_

"I've been meaning to ask; how do the names of families work here. Well, back then to be more precise?" asked Jiraiya.

"In modern times, a family name works in a manner similar to any family name like in the rest of the world. But back then, all family names were the name of the village followed by a small addition. In the case of Lao, he was from the village of Chin and of the Chin family called Xi. So, he would naturally be known as Lao Chin-Xi. Though back in those times and on occasion, even here in modern times, the family name would come before the persons name" explained Choza.

"So basically, it would have been proper to call him Chin-Xi Lao?" asked Jiraiya.

Choza nods, then adds "As it would be customary to refer to me as Akamichi Choza in more peaceful times. Now, let's continue."

_We are unsure of how Lao survived, but the sight of his home burning and his family and friends dead changed the young man and set him off on a path that would lead him into his destiny. Setting out, Lao seek-ed out many master to help train him in many professions such as swordsmanship, tactics, and leadership. It took twenty years of his life, but he was soon ready to begin the revaluation._

_Finding others who shared his vision of a peaceful and unified land, Lao and his growing followers began to strike back the the ones who kept our land locked within the darkness called war, going from one area to another and liberating it, gaining more allies and friends along the way._

_Soon, all that stood between them and their dreams of unity was the most powerful of rulers; Huni. The battle with the Huni lasted a full ten years, much longer than all the other area's combined. Though it was difficult and at times, seemingly impossible, Lao and his armies achieved their desired victory in the end and the remnants of the Huni were driven out into the great frozen wastelands of the far north._

_With the conflicts ended, everyone agreed that Lao, as the one who had made this all possible, should become the leader of the new unified lands. Though no longer a young man, Lao accepted and the birth of the kingdom of Chin-Xi and the royal line had begun. Luckily, Lao had met and married his beloved during the war and they had already been blessed with a child who was ever bit his fathers son as Lao sadly passed away before his reign was even a year into its birth._

"From then on, Chin-Xi was a great and prosperous land were even the poor didn't fear starving or breaking their backs just to earn enough food to feed their families. Everyone was happy and content and even though there were occasional skirmish with other nations, the Imperial family always led us down the proper path" said Choza in a whimsical manner.

"But all that changed with this generation" pointed out Jiraiya.

Choza nods sadly as he says "Yes, and no one saw it coming too. It began during the reign of our current Emperor, Ming ku Chin-Xi. I was one of his twelve Djinn; the Djinn being the highest ranking warriors in all of the land that protected the royal family personally as well as taking care of the most important and delicate of issues. And as a Djinn, I was intrusted with the crest of the Ram."

"I don't follow" said a confused Jiraiya.

Choza reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gold and silver colored crest, as large as his fist and shaped like a star, that had the symbol of a ram upon it. "One of the twelve guardian Zodiac we of the Chin-Xi believe in. Each Djinn is given one to represent him or herself based on what they can do, what their skills are. The leader of our order, the High Djinn, is given the crest of the Dragon for example. I'll explain this more later."

"Anyways, the problem came from within, not from the outside as you would think. The traitor, who's name I will not say as it offends me to even think it, was Ming's chosen commander of the armies. A man who had served since the time of his father. Though physically scarred from a long life that had seen many battles when he had been younger, this old war horse was still keenly intelligent and possessing a certain will about him" said Choza.

"He believed the the empire was losing itself, forgetting its strength in these times of peace and greatly wanted us to expand and add new regions to Chin-Xi for the betterment of the people. But Ming wouldn't here of it. I guess the traitor finally decided to take matters into his own hands in order to do what he felt would best serve the people."

"We now know that he orchestrated a false assassination attempt of Ming in order to make him nervous and scared for his family, then planted evidence that led to the belief that the ones who had tried to kill him were the modern day survivors of the Huni, who were now vicious barbarians that lived deep within the northern waste."

"After many talks, the traitor finally convinced Ming to send us, the twelve Djinn after them to deal with the problem. And while we were gone, the traitor and his loyal followers began their coup de ta and seized power for themselves. We naturally learned the truth of this in route, but we were unable to return in time to stop this insurrection and save the royal family" finished Choza.

"I see. But tell me; why did the people go along with this? Surely they would never accept the traitor as their new leader" asked Jiraiya.

"It's due to the same reason for why we now hide. The traitor has this power, a power that makes controlling others easy for him. This is how the main military force of our land bowed before him and his true loyalist. As for the people, he simply convinced them that it had been us, the Djinn, that had killed the Emperor and his family. And seeing as we had been sent on a secret mission, we had no way to counter his claim. Since then, we have done what we can from the shadows to prepare for the day we can strike back against him the traitor, though some of us Djinn have fallen since the betrayal" said Choza.

"I see" said Jiraiya as he gives the matter some thought. "So, when do you plan to retaking the throne?"

"I don't know" said Choza as she shakes his head. "Before we can do that, we need to do several things first. One, we need to get proof that the traitor was indeed the traitor so the people will side with us. Two, our forces aren't big enough to fight back at this time. And third and most importantly, we can't rise up without a legitimate heir to the throne. Without one, there would only be infighting over who among the nobility should become the new royal family."

"Then that will be a problem then, seeing as the traitor killed them all" said Jiraiya.

"No, not all of them" said Choza. "Emperor Ming; his wife, the Empress Shira; and their son, imperial prince Shao were killed. But, we believe that the crown princess, Mae Tenra vu Chin-Xi, may still be alive."

"How do you know this?" asked Jiraiya.

"The High Djinn of our generation has a mysterious power. When we learned the truth, he was able to return here quicker than the rest of us and we believe he may have saved the princess and taken her some place safe. But, seeing as he has never returned, we just can't be sure of anything at this time" said Choza.

"What's his name? Maybe I might know it from somewhere" asked Jiraiya.

"His name is...Han."

**(Order of Ama team)**

"OK, lets stop here for a minute" instructed Tenten as she came to a stop near the the edge of a cliff.

Walking up next to Tenten, Kumi ask "Is something wrong, Tenten?"

"Not yet. But from what Sakuya told me before we left, this cliff should give us a good look at the village of Nozuma. We can gauge just how bad it is from here and thus, we'll know how to react accordingly once we officially arrive" replied Tenten.

Looking back, Tenten then says "Ai, Izumi, do a quick look around and see if you can see anything that could be linked to the Makian's for me."

"Right" says both girls before each breaking away and taking off in different directions.

Tenten then looks at Hinata and explains "If we're lucky, the Makian threat will have passed. But still, one can never be to careful. Besides, if they attack once, they'll likely return again should the portal they used remains active."

"Understood" said Hinata as she walks up to Tenten and Kumi.

"Tenten, it looks like the outer sections of the village has been heavily damaged by the attack. But from what I can see from here, the inner area appears to be intact. But there's no doubt that there will be injured" said Kumi.

"I thought as much" said Tenten as she thinks about the situation.

_'Strange though; why only the outer section of the village? Makian's usually aren't so selective about this stuff. Does this mean that the village had help?' _wonders Tenten.

After twenty minutes, Ai and Izumi return within a few minutes of one another. "There hasn't been any Makian activity around here" said Izumi. "I didn't see any either" adds Izumi.

"Then that means they came from a different spot then" notes Kumi.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Hinata.

Standing up, Tenten pulls her pack off and says "Alright girls, time to undress", referring to the fact they they were dressed in their Slayer garb for the travel and they would need to be dressed as priestess's in order to get into the village.

Once they were fully dressed in their robes, she says "OK, here's the plan. Once we're inside, we start working on healing the injured. While doing that, ask the people what they know about the attack and learn as much as you can. But try to stay in character here, girls. Be careful on what you ask and how you ask it."

Earning a nod from the girls, they start they're walk to the village. As they began to descend the cliff along the path, Tenten falls back enough to be walking next to Hinata.

"If you need any help, just ask one of us for assistance. After all, you are still the newbie here" said Tenten.

"I will" replied Hinata.

Tenten returns to leading the others and soon enough, they had arrived at the gates of Nozuma.

**(with our young idiots)**

"IT'S GAINING ON US!" shouts Kiba as they round the corner; the giant meat ball hot on their heels.

"Oh really? I hadn't really noticed" joked Naruto as he was considering what options they had to work with.

"HHHHHHAAAAAARRRRRRRUUUUUUU" is heard from the spinning boulder.

The two youths dashed around another corner only to see that it led directly into a dead end. Coming to a stop, they quickly look around and find no other path open for them to take.

"We are totally boned here" shouts Kiba as the sound of the ball of doom was getting louder as it fast approached the turn off into this dead end.

"What we need is time" replies Naruto before making a hand sign, then saying "So I'll make us some time. Shadow Clone jutsu."

Naruto's shadow quickly expands outwards before releasing one hundred clones. Without needing Naruto to tell them what to do, the clones stack upon one another and form several rows before using the Shadow Meld and Shadow Shape jutsu's to form themselves into a solid, protective wall.

"What the...?" says a surprised Kiba as he looks at the newly formed wall, then looks at Naruto and ask "Will that hold the meat ball back?"

"We'll see" said Naruto, unsure as if this will actually work.

Moments later, the sound of the giant sphere slamming into the clone made wall followed immediately by the sight of the wall shaking just a little. But it was holding...for the moment at least. They could hear the sphere still spinning though as it continues to try and push through the obstruction before it.

"OK, now what? I doubt that will hold out for long" said Kiba as he looks back at the far war and adds "And we don't have any escape options either."

"I know, but lets hope the wall can last a few more minutes" says Naruto as he begins to make several hand signs.

"What do you have in mind?" asked Kiba.

"Well, lets see if the summoning jutsu can save our butts" replies Naruto as he holds onto the last hand sign while focusing his chakra into his right hand.

"Do you think you can do it?" asked Kiba.

"We'll see. I'm pushing as much chakra as I can into my hands so we should get a good sized one" says Naruto before placing his right hand onto the ground.

"Summoning jutsu" shouts Naruto; a blast a smoking shooting out from under his hand as he pulls it away.

"I have a good feeling about this" said Kiba, based on the size of the smoke cloud.

The smoke cloud finally clears and...a toad the size of Akamaru comes into view of Naruto and Kiba.

"Yo" says the small, orange toad.

"That's it?" says a confused Naruto.

"What the hell? Naruto, I thought you said you were putting all your chakra into it. Why didn't we get a big one?" shouts Kiba.

Naruto looks at Kiba sheepishly and says "Well, he's bigger than the last one at least."

"Smart ass" says Kiba in a huff.

"Actually, he did put a large amount of chakra into summoning me. The problem though was that he didn't regulate his chakra correctly as he placed it into the summoning seal" explained the toad.

"And what does that mean?" asked Kiba.

"He means most of the chakra I used for the summoning bled out into the air because I didn't control it right" said Naruto, annoyed that he had made that mistake.

Though, in fairness, Jiraiya hadn't warned him of this problem yet as they hadn't started on chakra regulation for summoning.

"Exactly" said the toad before hopping up and coming to a rest on Naruto's head. "So, you must be Naruto. Master Fukasaku mentioned you; said you were master Jiraiya's new student."

"Well, that's not exactly..." Naruto starts to say till the sound of the wall giving away catches his attention.

"Um, guys, I think the walls about to crumble" points out Kiba, stating the obvious.

"Huh?" asked the toad. "By the way, why did you perform a summoning anyways?"

"Yeah" said Naruto as he scratches his head. "About that..."

Just then, the clone wall finally gives way and the giant sphere bares down fast on them.

"Damn, I guess we have no choice" says Kiba as he quickly pulls out a red pill from his pocket and tosses it up to Akamaru who quickly gulps it down.

"You want me to stop THAT?" shouts the toad as he sees the giant meat ball coming at them.

Kiba gets down onto all fours as Akamaru jumps down to stand on his back, his fur turning from white to dark red.

"Kiba, what's going on?" shouts Naruto.

Kiba looks at Naruto and says "Just watch and see. Man Beast Clone."

Kiba's appearance becomes more bestial while Akamaru turns into a clone of Kiba, also looking bestial. "And now, Fang Over Fang" growls out Kiba as he and Akamaru launch forward, spinning wildly, and slamming right into the giant sphere.

The two opposing forces struggle against each other for a few moments before the sphere is finally sent flying back and sent slamming into the wall next to the turn. Meanwhile, Kiba and Akamaru circle back and land next to Naruto.

"What do you think Naruto? This is two of my families prized techniques we utilize as bounty hunters. The man beast clone, where us human members become more animal like and our partners become human copies of us, and the Fang Over Fang attack. Good for bringing a target down."

"That's pretty cool" says Naruto.

"Hey guys, its not done yet" shouts the toad.

Naruto and Kiba and Akamaru turn to see the meat ball had started to spin again and was now heading right back at them. "AAARRROOOOOMMMMMMM" is heard coming from it again.

_'Hey, I think I get what that is now" _thinks the toad.

"Kiba, can you push it back again?" asked Naruto.

"We can try" said Kiba as he and Akamaru prepare for another go.

"Wait, I'll do it" says the toad as makes a hand sign.

"Huh? HOW?" shouts Kiba before adding "That thing can crush us, to say nothing of you."

"Don't worry. I'm confident that this will work" said the toad before his throat puffs out. "Toad Sonic Blaster" shouts the toad before unleashing a powerful wave of sound out at the giant meat ball.

To Naruto and Kiba and Akamaru's surprise, the wave nearly stops the ball and makes it start to shake badly. And then they hear "OOOOOHHHH MMMMAAAANNNN, MMMYYY EEEAAARRRSSS."

And then, the ball shrinks and changes into a human form; a rather chunky human form. The toad lets up his attack and smiles as he says "Thought so. That was just some guy playing a human wrecking ball."

"I don't feel so good" says the red headed boy as his eyes spin in their sockets.

Naruto and Kiba approach the boy and help him back to his feet. "Who are you?" asked Kiba.

"Choji...Choji Akamichi" said the boy as he sways back and forth on his feet.

**Next time: The wander, the false emperor, land of the samurai**


	41. 41 Under Unseen Skies 4

**Naruto Overdrive**

**chpt.41: Under Unseen Skies 3**

"My names Choji Akamichi" said the red headed, pudgy boy.

Naruto and Kiba watched Choji wobble around for a few moments before he started to fall backwards, making them rush forward to catch and steady him before he could hit the ground. They then helped him over against the wall so he could sit down to recover.

"Are you OK?" asked Kiba.

"My heads spinning around like a top and I'm feeling nauseous right now. Other than that; sure, I'm feeling just dandy here" replied Choji sarcastically.

"Well, you did almost flatten us just a few moments ago. But, we're sorry all the same" said Naruto.

"Like I was aware that you guys were in the way. I thought I was alone in here" said Choji.

"And just where is here anyways?" asked Kiba.

"This is our training facility. We can set it up in a variety of ways to suit any style of training needs. In this case, I'm using the labyrinth set up to practice my families Human Boulder style attack. Now I have a question for you guys, just who are you two and how did you get down here anyways?" asked Choji.

"I'm Kiba Inazuka and this is my dog Akamaru. We're from a family of professional trackers and bounty hunters."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm a nin...I mean, I'm a student to that pervy sage, Jiraiya. As for how we got down here? We fell down a sliding passage in the back of the room we had been given to stay in."

"So you guys are the Shumoan's we found wondering around. That explains why I didn't recognize you guys" said Choji before moving on the the other answer.

"You guys must have been given the old drill command center to use. Before we started the renovations here, we would hold fake mission briefings inside, then use the slide to get down into the training facility which would be set up to simulate various combat conditions for training purposes" said Choji.

"That makes sense" said Naruto as he gave this whole scenario some thought.

"So, any ideas on how we can get out of here?" asked Kiba.

Choji got up and said "Follow me."

Though he was still a little wobbly, he could now stand well enough to move without falling on his butt again. "Say, are you guys hungry?"

"A little, but Horo said he'd bring us some later" said Naruto.

"Man, I can't wait that long. All that running left me famished" adds Kiba, getting a yip of agreement from Akamaru.

"Then why wait then. I'll take you guys to the mess hall so we can chow down on some grub before I escort you back to your rooms. After all, never ignore the needs of an empty stomach" says Choji as he rubbed his now growling stomach.

"By the way, who's that orange toad hopping next to you, Naruto?" asked Choji.

"It's about time someone remembered I was here" said the toad with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Good question" said Naruto as he looked down at his slippery summons. "So, what is your name anyways?"

"Names Gamakichi, nice to meet you" replied the toad before hopping up onto Naruto's head.

"You not heading back home?" asked Naruto.

"I will later, but this is my first time to leave Mt. Myoboku. I wanna see what the outside world is like while I can" replied Gamakichi. "If that's OK with you that is?"

"Sure, I don't mind" replied Naruto.

After a few minutes of walking and turning several corners before they came upon a door. They quickly exited the room into a larger room that will filled with various treasure and other important looking items.

"Hey Choji, where are we now?" asked Kiba.

"This is a special storage room where we're holding the valuables that once belonged to the Imperial family. After the coup de ta, my father and the others who weren't controlled by the traitor saved as much as they could and have hidden them for safety" replied Choji.

"Like here for instance" said Kiba before walking over to a large painting placed against a side wall.

Naruto and Choji joined him as Kiba asked "So, are these people the royals?"

"Yeah, this is them" said Choji sadly as he looked at the picture as well.

After a few moments, Choji says "Well, you still want you some chow or not?"

"You bet I do" said Kiba as he walks towards Choji. He looks back as he realizes that Naruto isn't following him and ask "Hey Naruto, what's up?"

Naruto was still looking at the painting. More specifically, his attention was focused solely on the young girl in the painting. "Hey Choji, who is this?"

"That's Mae Tenra vu Chin-Xi, our princess and the one member of the royal family who might still be alive. Though my father and thew other surviving Djinn can't be sure of this. It's just a hope they have" replied Choji.

Kiba grins as he says "Naruto, are you falling in love with her? You do know that she's just a kid or are you into the whole lolicon scene?"

"Actually, if Mae is still alive, she'd be the same age as we are right now" said Choji.

"Either way, there is no way Naruto could get with a princess. Now, lets go get some grub" shouts Kiba.

"Yeah" said Naruto as he joins them.

_'But still, that girl...Mae. Maybe it's just my imagination, but I could swear that she looks like...'_

**(Nozuma)**

"Tenten, am I doing this right?" asked Hinata as she finished bandaging up the small boy sitting before her.

Tenten walked over and examined the the work Hinata had just done, then looked back and said "Not bad for a first timer."

She then looked back at the kid and asked "Feeling OK now?"

"Sure am ma'am" replied the boy.

"Good to hear. If you want to, you can go and play with your friends now" said Tenten as she ruffled his messy hair.

The boy nods as he stands up and walks over to Hinata and says "Thanks for healing me, pretty lady", then runs off.

After the kid had left, Hinata looks back at Tenten and ask "So, does anyone else in here need checking out?"

Tenten shakes her head, then says "I think we got them all. Kumi, Ai, and Izumi are checking to make sure everyone else in here is OK. Let's head out and look around the village, see if anyone else needs healing."

"Right" replies Hinata as she turns to leave, but is stopped by Tenten who leans in close.

"And while your at it, see if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Anything that might be Makian related. It might help us figure out why they appeared and attacked as well as help us out should they come back. Me and the others will be out to join you soon" whispered Tenten into Hinata's ear.

Hinata nods before walking away and exiting the meeting hall of Nozuma. As she looks around, the sight of the people and seeing the fear and uncertainty upon their faces tears at her heart. Surely there was something they could do to bring a sense of peace and security back here to them.

Hinata soon spies and elderly woman sitting on a bench next to the well and she heads over and ask "Excuse me ma'am. Are you feeling OK?"

The elderly woman looks up and says "I'm feeling fine; just resting my feet." She then takes a good look at Hinata and adds "Oh, you're one of them priestess's that came to help us. What good timing."

"Oh,are you feeling ill?" asked Hinata.

The woman shakes her head, saying "No, it's not me. But I'm sure he may need to be healed."

"Who ma'am?" asked Hinata.

"That nice man who came and saved us from those horrible monsters" replied the woman.

This was news to Hinata as she hadn't heard anything about this. Tenten and the others hadn't said anything about this either. They had just assumed the Makian's had just had their fill and had left.

"Where can I find him, ma'am?" asked Hinata.

The woman turned and pointed to the western wall and said "He's just outside the west gate, keeping an eye out for those beast. Seeing as they were first seen coming from the west, he believes that if they return, they'll come that way again."

"Then I'll go and see if he's OK" said Hinata before bowing politely then walking off.

As she approached the gate, Hinata began to feel something in the air. It was an odd feeling, but one that felt somewhat familiar to her. As she passed the gate, she looked around and her eyes quickly came upon the man in question.

The man was tall and well built; wearing powerful looking armor, two swords hanging from the waist on his left side, and a large hat made of straw that helped to cover his face somewhat. It didn't appear as if he noticed her as his eyes were focused on the landscape.

Hinata tries to speak up, but finds her voice escaping her. For some reason, this man was making her feel real nervous. Knowing she had a job to do, Hinata thinks of Naruto and recalls the courage he had shown her and that helps her to finally speak.

"Um...excuse me, sir" said Hinata to the man.

The man looks at her for a moment, then returns to to looking out over the expanse of land. "excuse me, sir? My name is Hinata and I'm..."

"You're from the Order of Ama, right?" asked the man.

Hinata nods, saying "Yes sir. And I heard it was you who saved these people before. So I was wondering if you needed some medical treatment."

The man shakes his head, saying "I'm fine. Besides, I'm a fast healer. You should concern yourself with the villagers."

"Are you sure?" asked Hinata.

The man just looks at her which is enough of an answer for Hinata. She bows and says "Sorry for bothering you then. I'll be going now."

As she goes to leave, she stops as her eyes fall onto the distant mountain range. Noticing the girl was gazing out at the mountain, he looks at her and notices that small almost barely noticeable veins had popped out around her eyes.

"That light..." said Hinata in an almost trance like state.

"Pardon?" asked the man as he looked in the same direction she was, seeing nothing, then looks back at her and ask "What light, Hinata?"

The veins recede as Hinata snaps out of it, blinking. "Huh? What happened?"

_'What was that about?'_ wondered the man before saying "You looked towards the mountain and said something about a light? What kind of light was it?"

"I...I'm not sure. I don't even know how I saw it. But..."

"But what?"

"I could have sworn I say some sort of gate. And there were these weird creatures crawling around it as well" replied Hinata, wondering if her Byakugan had activated without her knowing it.

The man remains quiet for a moment, then ask "Where exactly?"

Hinata points at the mountain and says "See that patch of snow and how it slopes into a V shape? Just below that point."

"I see" says the man as he starts to walk towards the mountain. _'If I'm right, then that light must be coming from the portal the Makian's are coming from.'_

"Sir, where are you going?" called Hinata.

"To check out the source of that light" replied the man without breaking his stride.

"By the way, I never gave you my name" he then said as he stops and looks back at her.

"Sir?" asked a confused Hinata.

"You gave me your name. Proper etiquette requires I do the same" said the man.

Then, after a brief pause, he says "Han, my name is Han." He then continues heading towards the mountain.

**(Bei Shao, three days later)**

Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kiba stood at the entrance to the Underground's hideaway with Akamaru and Gamakichi sitting atop Kiba and Naruto's heads respectively alongside Horo as they away Choza's arrival. The time had come for them to continue their mission.

The sound of a door opening was followed by both Choza and Choji appearing and walking towards them and Choza could be seen holding a few items in his hands.

"Are you sure you must be on your way?" asked Choza as he stopped before them.

"Yeah, we don't have much time left to us and despite your hospitality these last few days, we can't afford to delay any longer. So, have your people had any luck in locating Tsunade?" asked Jiraiya.

Choza shakes his head, then says "Nothing concrete I'm afraid. But we did manage to learn that a woman who matched her description as well as the picture had been seen in several towns across Chin-Xi. Here, I've marked the locations in question on this map of our land."

Choza then hands the rolled up parchment to Jiraiya who, in turns, unravels it and looks it over. Both Naruto and Kiba peek around Jiraiya's side and see that there was a circle that they assumed was Bei Shao and three other city like images that had also been circled.

"So, do you believe she could be at any of these three cities?" inquired Jiraiya.

"If she was, then my people would have found her. So I doubt she is still at any of them. However..."

"We may get better intel on where she could be at present by visiting these three cities" finishes Jiraiya as he roles the map back up.

"Exactly" says Choza before he extends the other object out to Jiraiya. "These are the items you asked for the other day, though I'm confused as to what purpose they could serve."

Jiraiya takes the bag, sparing a quick moment to peek inside before leaning down to remove his pack so he could place the small bag inside. Getting back to his feet, he says "Understandable, but I can tell you that they will be helpful in training my apprentice here."

Choza nods as Naruto ask "So, what's in that bag anyways, pervy sage?"

"I'll tell you once we're on the road again" replied Jiraiya.

"One more thing" said Choza, getting their attention back onto him. "Be careful of the imperial guard. I have no doubt that the traitor has learned of foreigners have entered the realm and they may be looking for you. I know you wouldn't betray us or rat us out, but still...be careful of what you say to people. The one thing that man isn't is a fool."

"We'll be careful" responds Jiraiya, understanding the seriousness of Choza's tone.

He then looks to the two boys and says "OK kids, we better get a move on."

They nod, then look back at Choji. "Hey Cho, keep on training and you'll be a great warrior in no time."

"You too, Naruto."

"And cut down on those pork flavored chips, man. They can't be healthy for that round belly of yours" adds Kiba.

"Never" declares Choji defiantly.

They turn and begin to head down the alley way, but Naruto stops and looks back, asking "Master Choza, a question if I may."

Looking at Naruto, Choza 'ask "What is it?"

"If we ever find any information on Mae or even find her herself, then how can we contact you to let you know?"

Choza thinks on this for a moment, then says "Return here to Bei Shao and go to the Seven Star store. Tell the man working at the counter 'I bring home a precious treasure'. He'll ask you what kind of treasure and you must reply 'the treasure of the ten Ten'. We secretly own the Seven Star so it will be the way point for you to us."

"I won't forget" said Naruto before rejoining the others. As they reemerge onto the city streets, Naruto can't help but ponder on the phrase 'ten Ten'. Was it possible that his initial thought was true. Could Hinata's friend Tenten from the Order of Ama really be the missing princess?

Naruto is drawn out of his musings when Kiba ask "So, what now, Jiraiya?"

"We'll begin our search by heading to the nearest of the three cities. I believe its name is Senquine. Kiba, do you and Akamaru still have Tsunade's scent memorized?"

"You bet. One of my clans best traits is that we never forget a scent once we got it memorized. Right, Akamaru?" asked Kiba as his eyes looked up towards his puppy companion.

"Arf" replies Akamaru in agreement.

"Then as we walk down the road, do a periodic sniff in the air to see if you might be able to catch her scent. If we're really lucky, we just may get a scent to follow on" said Jiraiya.

"Roger" replies Kiba.

After about fifteen minutes, the reach the northern gates of Bei Shao and are soon walking down the long road. Once Bei Shao was just a distant dot behind them, Gamakichi gets everyone's attention by saying "We got company."

A split second later, heavily armored troops come out of hiding from around the large rocks and other obstructions and surround the group. As they prepared themselves for a possible attack, a very pale skinned man steps from the armored men and simply says "I'll ask you to come with us now."

**(four hours later; Chin-Xi capital of Quan Khan)**

The journey took several hours of intense, fast paced walking with no rest breaks being given. The fact the men in the armor never seemed to tire or lose step, let alone fall out of formation, was rather impressive to say the least.

Gamakichi revealed that he had gotten a feeling that they were being watch as they neared the northern gate leading Kiba to demand why he didn't tell them. Gamakichi responded that he thought they knew. Akamaru bark his confirmation that he had picked it up as well, making Kiba feel a little foolish that he had fail to pick anything up. Jiraiya acknowledged that he had gotten a feeling that they were being followed, but had chosen to remain silent so as to see what their pursuers would ultimately do. Even Naruto had gotten a feeling that they had some unwanted company, meaning Kiba was the only one not in the know. And knowing that made Kiba seriously depressed.

The pale skin man then broke in, telling them to remain silent less he have their tongues cut out.

When they finally arrived at the outer gates to Quan Khan, they couldn't help but notice both the size and the rather intimidating visage that they were giving off. Even the massive doors showcased both power and a sense of regalia about it. Clearly, this was a city that was truly well protected, if not nigh impregnable.

Coming to a stop, the pale man pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled something onto it. He then said something in a whisper and the image he drew came to life, rising from the parchment and forming into an ink black bird of great size. He jumped atop the bird as it lifted him over the walls.

For a few moments, there was a tense uneasy as they awaited what might happen next. And then, one of the massive doors opened just enough to allow them entry. The pale man met them inside and resumed to lead them further into the city.

As they walked down the street, the three Shumoan's couldn't help but marvel at the sight before them. Everything about Quan Khan showcased a level of style and class and high society style living like they had never seen. It made any other city that they had seen in Shumoa seem small and meek in comparison.

"Damn, now this is a city" said Kiba in total awe.

"It's beautiful alright" adds Naruto.

"And I feel like just look at it is costing us a fortune" says Gamakichi.

"This city is indeed one of a kind. Quan Khan; the glistening jewel on Chin-Xi" said the pale man, not minding their amazement as it was an impressive sight. Especially for newcomers.

"I'm assuming we're being taken to meet the emperor then?" asked Jiraiya.

"Indeed" said the pale man, looking back at Jiraiya. "We received a report of outsiders coming into Bei Shao and his excellency decided he wanted to meet them. And find out why they would come to our land without a proper invitation."

After that, nothing more was said as they made their way down the almost golden streets and marble made buildings. Soon, they stood outside the imperial palace itself and it was obvious that this was the most lavish and exalted structure in all of Quan Khan

"Before we enter; may I ask you a question?" said Jiraiya to the pale man.

"What is it?" was the reply.

"Has the imperial city and palace always looked like it does now? As a writer and a historian of some degree, I must admit that I am a bit curious about it all" said Jiraiya.

"If you want, I can arrange for a copy of our complete history to be made for you if you truly are curious about it all."

"That would be appreciated" said Jiraiya.

The man nodded, then says "But to give you a more immediate answer to your question. Yes, to some degree. Our current emperor has made some great improvements since coming into power over a decade ago. He believed the people here in Quan Khan deserved to live as blessed a life as possible."

"Especially with who they had as emperor, right?" asked Kiba, not meaning to say that aloud.

Jiraiya, Naruto, and Gamakichi all give him an angry glare and Akamaru just uses a paw to cover his eyes while shaking his head back and forth in embarrassment.

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose" said the pale man, deciding to let that remark slide. "Now, just to make sure you know that you'll be in the presence of our emperor in just a few moments. So be sure to be on your best behavior."

He then looks at Kiba and adds "Or else."

Kiba gulps as they enter the massive structure. After passing through an open courtyard which had many beautiful flowers set up around it, they entered into the palace interior itself. They proceeded through a long and extremely large hall way, coming to a stop just short of a set of stairs that ended with a large golden throne.

The guards who had been with them broke off and took up position along the side of the room. The pale man nodded at an older looking man dressed like a steward who quickly exited off to the side into another room. Jiraiya figured he was likely going to inform the false emperor of their arrival. After a few maddening moments, a voice rang out across the throne room.

"Now presenting his most exalted highness and grand savior of the realm; the Supreme Emperor, Danzo the Infinite."

Immediately, the pale man dropped down into a kneeling position, then glanced back and gave Jiraiya a look that suggested that it would be wise to do the same. Jiraiya looks at Naruto and Kiba, nods, then follows the pale man's example as he kneels as well. Naruto and Kiba follow suit with Akamaru and Gamakichi hopping off their head and doing their best to bow in (false) respect as well.

After a few moments of silence, the sound of footsteps could be heard along with another sound; clanking. It was something hitting against the polished marble floor. Possibly a cane that, from the sound of it, was likely made of some precious material itself.

Finally, the man who had staged a coup de ta, this Danzo, finally came into view. He was dressed in regal robes that were likely made of satin and were a combination of white and purple (the purple likely being velvet). He had a thick red colored cloak covering his right arm, keeping it completely hidden away. His cane appeared to be made of silver and molded crystal with various interesting jewels of many colors fashioned into it. And his face had a solid gold mask covering the upper right side of his face, likely concealing a possible eye related injury he may have suffered earlier in life.

After taking a seat upon his throne, Danzo simple says "Rise."

Once they had returned to standing, the pale man says "I have brought you the people you seek-ed, my lord."

"Excellent work as always, Sai. Now allow them to step forward so they may introduce themselves" commanded Danzo in an even, if somewhat dulled tone.

Sai nods before walking off to stand to Danzo's right alongside the other guard.

"My name is Jiraiya, your lordship. Though I'm not sure if my name is as well known here as it is back in my homeland of Shumoa, I hold the title of Sage of Mt. Myoboku as well as a popular writer."

"My name is Kiba Inazuka, sir. And this is my partner, Akamaru. We come from a family of famous trackers. I was assigned to aid master Jiraiya here on his quest as a right of passage set to me by my mother, who leads our clan."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, the apprentice to master Jiraiya. And at my side is Gamakichi, my familiar who is part of the Toad tribe that hail from Mt. Myoboku."

"It's a honor to meet you, your majesty" adds Gamakichi with Akamaru barking in agreement.

"Indeed" said Danzo as he looked them over suspiciously. But his eyes linger on Naruto for a few moments longer than the others, making Naruto feel uncomfortable. And it wasn't so much from the fact that Danzo was fixating his gaze on him. Rather, the unease was because...

"Now tell me, Sage Jiraiya. What business would bring you here into my lands with your apprentice and a hired tracker?" asked Danzo as he returned his gaze to the older man.

"We've come to Chin-Xi on an important errand. We were charged by my old teacher to locate a fellow disciple who I trained alongside during my youth. Our master is quite old and his time to depart this world is fast approaching and he wishes to see us again one last time so as to give us his blessing along with other valuables he desires to bequeath to us" explained Jiraiya.

He then reaches out and slides a hand into his sage jacket and immediately, the guards in the room bring their weapons to bare upon him. Jiraiya goes motionless as a caution while Danzo raises his hand. The guards acknowledge the silent order and back away, though still remain on alert.

Moving slower and with caution, Jiraiya pulls a photo out and offers it to Sai, who walks over and takes the picture from him. Sai then walks up to Danzo and hands his emperor the picture in turn.

"Her name is Tsunade Senju" explained Jiraiya as Danzo studied the picture.

"How up to date is the picture of...Tsunade with the present?" asked Danzo.

"It was taken over twenty years ago, your grace. But knowing her as I do, I doubt her appearance would have changed all that much. At the most, she'll have a more matured look to her instead of a wild older teen look she's sporting in the picture" said Jiraiya.

"Are you certain that she is here in Chin-Xi?" asked Danzo.

Jiraiya simple shrugs, then says "To be honest, I can't be sure if she is or not. All I do know is that she did bored a ship that was bound to your kingdom. This was a little over a decade ago. And she hasn't set foot back within the borders of Shumoa since her departure."

"And how can you be sure?" inquired Danzo.

"Please trust me when I say, your grace, that if she had returned to Shumoa since she originally left, I would have learned about it within a days time. And even though I'm uncertain on if she's currently within your lands. I'm hopeful we'll at least find some clues to will point us in the right direction to look for her at this present time."

Hearing that, Danzo closes his eyes to think on this for a second. The air was slowly becoming tense as everyone awaited his decision on this matter. He then opens his eyes and says:

"Sai, make copies of this picture to pass around our agents spread across Chin-Xi and inform them of the name Tsunade Senju. I want no stone left unturned or alleyway left unchecked. This search is a top priority matter, understand?"

"Yes, my lord" said Sai as he takes the picture and quickly exits the room.

"Your grace, you have my thanks" said Jiraiya as he bowed low.

"Don't not misunderstand, now. My helping you as well as making this top priority is due to one simple reason. We are having some...difficulties with rebel factions, remnants of the old regime, that are disrupting the peace and stability here within my kingdom. As such, having outsiders walking our lands is just not something we can have happening at this time. I trust you understand?"

Jiraiya nods, saying "I do, your grace."

"Now, I will have a guard escort you and your party to some quest quarters. Until this Tsunade is found, you all shall remain here as our most welcomed guest" says Danzo as he motions to a guard to lead them to their room.

"We appreciate the offer, sir. But we don't to impose upon you..." Jiraiya starts to say, but Danzo interrupts him, saying with a voice that was ominous and maybe even threatening.

"You won't be imposing at all. Besides, I INSIST!"

**(a few minutes)**

"Man, what a joke. We have to stay confined to this room for the FULL duration of our stay" growls Kiba as he paces back and forth next to the beds.

"Well, at least it's a big room. A really, REALLY big room with a rather large bathroom attached and we are allowed to walk out onto the balcony" says Naruto, trying to look on the bright side.

"Oh, your right. Absolutely right, Naruto. Everything is just fine. PEACHY" grumbles Kiba.

Worried that Kiba might unknowingly blurt out something about Underground, Jiraiya whispers some unknown words to Gamakichi, who then hops over to Akamaru and whispers something into the pups ears. Akamaru then barks something at Kiba.

"Huh, what? Say again, buddy?" ask Kiba.

Akamaru barks again, slower this time. _"Jiraiya says watch what you say. If these guys find out that we had contact with the Underground, there could be trouble. And fighting our way out of here won't be as easy as it would have been with them."_

Realizing that this was true and he was making a seen, Kiba wills his annoyance down before saying "Well, they better bring us some grub soon. All that walking has made me hungry." Kiba then walks off to check out the bath room.

Naruto leans in close to Jiraiya and ask in a whisper "Do you think they're listening in on us?"

"Most likely. Probably watching us somehow too."

Naruto nods just a little, then ask "What language were you using when you spoke to Gamakichi just now?"

"Toad tongue. If you want, I can teach you" offered Jiraiya.

"Yeah..." said Naruto, though he was obviously distracted. "Is something wrong, Naruto?" asked Jiraiya with concern in his voice.

"That man...Danzo. There's something about it that makes me uneasy. And...Kyubi's chakra became agitated too when we were in his presence.

Hearing this, along with remembering what Choza had told him before, made Jiraiya become worried about that man Danzo. A man who could easily manipulate the masses and cause a disturbance within Kyubi's chakra was a dangerous man indeed.

**Next time: Slayer's vs Makian's, Naruto's regulation training...with water balloons?**


	42. 42 Adapting Girl

**Naruto Overdrive**

A dark and ominous feeling shot through Tenten's entire being, forcing her to awaken from an otherwise peaceful slumber. She sat up, breathing heavily and took a glance to the window on her left. It was still the dead of night and she took a moment to use her arm to wipe the sweat from her forehead before getting up.

Sliding a robe on, she walks outside into the quiet village and made her way through the streets. As she walked, the feeling of the dark that she was sensing didn't diminish, but grew more and more the closer she got the the outer walls. Before long, she had reached the wall and quickly made her way up top before she began to scan the horizon.

Her search didn't need much time. She fixed her gaze to the west and though nothing could be seen from her current vantage point. She still knew what was coming and just how much time they had before the attack came.

"Tenten; is it the Makian's?" asked Izumi as she joined her fellow Sister.

For just a moment, Tenten remained silent before looking at Izumi and saying "Wake the others. They'll be here in less than an hour."

"Right" said Izumi before turning and heading back to the lodgings they had been given.

Tenten looked back to the west with a grim expression. _'It's a good thing the night still rules the skies. The people here are still asleep and if we're lucky, they won't even know of this second attack. But we need to head out soon in order to keep them as far from the village as possible.'_

With that, Tenten turns and runs back towards their lodgings in order to prepare. This was going to be a bloody battle. And with it being night outside, the beast will have an unfair advantage from the energy of the moon light that will strengthen them.

**Chpt. 42: Adapting Girl**

The five Slayer's were gathered around in a circle, using a trench as cover from any prying eyes as they talk over the battle plan. Time was of the essence as they could already feel the tremors pulsing through the earth that told them that a large group of Makian's was fast approaching.

"Izumi, can you erect a barrier over the area for me? This will help us know when our targets have arrived" asked Tenten, looking at the dark skinned Slayer.

"On it" replied Izumi as she makes several hand signs, activating the barrier jutsu. "Wish we didn't have so many trees around us. It's gonna make my barrier a little spotty in the detection department."

"Not to mention make fighting those Makian's just a little more hassling" adds Kumi.

"So, what's our game plan here?" asked Ai, twirling a finger around her left pony tail, a sign that she was nervous. When she did this using her right pony tail, it meant she was excited.

"Well, seeing as we have know idea just how many Makian's we're facing here nor do we even know what type we'll be facing here, it will be impossible to form any solid game plan. But this much I know for a fact" says Tenten, making sure they were all looking and listening.

"One, watch each others backs, but don't lose sight of watching your own as well. Two, we cannot, under any circumstance, allow even a single Makian to make it to the village. Not even let them get close, understood?"

Seeing her four Sisters nod, Tenten then says "And three, and this is the most important of all. No one; absolutely no one is allowed to die here. Is that understood?" Getting another confirmation nod from the others, Tenten smiles and says "OK, now take a moment to look over your gear; make sure its all in reach in case you need it. And get ready to move. Once we get a barrier breach, we attack."

As each of the girls starts to prepare for the battle, Hinata takes a seat next to Ai and slides her battle claws on. She then sends some chakra into them to make sure that she would be able to if needed. "So, feeling nervous, new girl? Seeing as it is your first time, its only natural" asked Ai.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but I'll be OK. After all, everyone back in the village needs us to win. And I won't fail them" replies Hinata, looking at Ai and seeing she was holding a massive sized shuriken. Hinata then realizes something and decides to ask Ai about it.

"Out of curiosity, was Izumi a ninja once? I don't remember hearing about barrier jutsu being in our arsenal."

"It is, actually. Though it'll be a few years before you'll be learning it. But as for your question? Izumi was a ninja before joining us; for that Kumo village if I remember correctly" replied Ai.

"If she was a kunoichi at one time, then why is she with the Order now?" asked Hinata.

Ai is quiet for a moment, then says "Do you know about what is expected from kunoichi that serve in the hidden villages?"

Hinata nods, then says "I learned about it during the breath few weeks I spent in Konoha after meeting my friend, Naruto. If it wasn't for that little detail, I might have chosen to follow that life."

"Well, I probably shouldn't tell you this, but..." said Ai, hesitating for a moment. "I don't know the full details, but this is what I know. Izumi didn't leave Kumo because of that expectation she would have to perform. She was abandoned by her sensei after having done some horrible things to her."

Before Hinata could speak, a voice interrupts them. "What are you two talking about?" asked Izumi.

Ai immediately blushes in embarrassment as she jumps to her feet and apologizes for talking about it, then runs over to where Kumi was sitting, who simply shakes her head at the scene. Izumi sits down next to Hinata, and gives her a look that makes Hinata nervous.

"Ah...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have butted in" said Hinata, hoping Izumi wasn't mad.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know" said Izumi. "Truth is, I didn't mind doing missions like that if it was for my village. But that demonic sensei of mine. I was loyal to him, willing to do anything for him, to earn his respect. And he...what he did to me, what he made me do, and then leaving me for dead when he was done with me. I will never forgive him. I'm just lucky I was found by the Order and taken in. Here, I can make a difference, a real difference."

Then Izumi leans in close and says in a lower voice "But I do have a specific goal. One day, some day, I will find that man and I will have my revenge. I will kill Hanbano-sensei."

"Hanbano?" says a surprised Hinata.

Izumi looks at her in shock and ask "Wait, do you know him? Oh kami, don't tell me he..."

Hinata shakes her head, then says "I did meet him, but he didn't do anything to me. Though he might have if Naruto and his sensei Kakashi hadn't saved me. And you should know that they killed him."

"Hanbano's dead?" said Izumi as she gets up. She clenches her fist for a second, then a tear escapes from her eye as she smiles and says "Thanks for telling me. Though I wish it had been by my hand that he had died. Knowing that he is dead will help me to sleep easier at night."

At that moment, Izumi spins around as her eyes go wide. "Tenten, we have a breach" she shouts.

Within seconds, Tenten is by her side. "How many? From what direction?"

"At least forty from what I can detect so far. And directly east, coming from the mountains" replied Izumi.

"OK girls, we're moving out" shouts Tenten before they break into a run. "OK, we hit them hard, we hit them fast. No mercy."

"Ay" reply all the girls. Tenten then looks at Hinata and says "Stay close and don't get careless, Sister."

Hinata nods as they race towards the battle.

**(with Han)**

_'There it is'_ thought Han as he found himself standing before the portal.

His journey here to this point had been fast, thanks in part to the abilities that came from the power he had sealed within him. But he was unhappy to find that there was no sign of the Makian's anywhere. Well, at least this meant that he wouldn't have any trouble getting in between him and closing the portal. But then it caught his eye: a series of large impressions pressed deep into the ground.

Han didn't need any other clue to let him know what this was. A very large Makian had emerged from the portal and this would present a problem. Closing the portal would cause any human sized Makian to die immediately due to the closing of the link. But a Makian of this size could sustain itself buy feeding on humans. And if it and the human sized Makian's were en-route back to the village, then...

"Dammit" growls Han and his body is surrounded by white/gray chakra that has an almost wolf like shape to it. Four chakra hands extend out and grip onto the portal and Han begins concentrating on closing it as quickly as possible.

Time was of the essence here for him. He needed to get this finished and get back as quickly as possible as he doubt that five Slayers of Ama could handle a Makian of that size. Not without help.

**(the Makian location)**

They moved through the forest; their very presence made the natural wild life hide in fear. Even the predators themselves would not make a move against them; their instincts warning them off that idea. The Makian's that roamed, driven my hunger and savage desire, were known as Spikin's. They had large, muscular gray bodies lined with spikes. This included a rather large and nasty looking spike growing out of each wrist and one on its tail. Even worse is that these three spikes could be fired like projectiles to bring down a target while replacement spikes would grow out quickly.

The lead, who had a large dark red scar mark on its face that ran down to its torso, came to a stop and sniffed the air. Something was coming their way, something that excited its taste buds. Just then, a large lance comes flying through the tree line and impales a smaller Spikin upon it.

A second later, Izumi comes flying down with a mace in hand as she swings it wildly, taking several Spikin's heads off as a result. Kumi then appears, grabbing her lance from the first slain Makian and immediately turns her attention to the swarm that was surrounding her.

But then Tenten makes her move as she lands by Kumi, her twin daggers in hand, as she swiftly and with little difficulty, starts slicing the creatures up with her chakra enhanced attacks. The lead Spikin roars in outrage at this attack, but then immediately brings a spiked hand up in defense to block Ai's massive scimitar sword as she swings it down hard at it.

"Damn, so close" she curses as she had hoped that she would catch the leader off guard. Doing so and killing it would have made the others panic from the loss of their leader, making this even easier.

The scar face growls in a way that makes it sound like its chuckling as it pushes her off, knocking Ai off balance in the process due to the size and weight of her weapon compared to her small size. But as it takes aim with a projectile spike, Hinata comes in from behind, and slices into its back using her battle claws.

The scar face roars in pain as it sends its tail swing wildly about. Hinata manages to dodge the first swing, but is hit when it came back suddenly, sending her slamming into a tree. Ai shouts in rage as she goes charging at the beast. But the scar face jumps over Ai and it swipes Ai with its tail spike, cutting into her arm and knocking her to the ground.

As Ai tries to collect herself, the scar face knocks her weapon away to leave her defenseless. Before she can produce another weapon, she finds her neck being squeezed by the tail of the scar face who then lifts her up and roars as it prepares to start eating.

"Ai" shouts Hinata as she throws her chakram out at the beast, who jerks to the side in order to dodge it. Seeing the chakram now embedded into the tree behind it, the Makian looks at Hinata in a mocking fashion as it aims an arm spike at her, planning on killer her with it.

Tenten, Kumi, and Izumi could see the trouble their Sister's were in, but couldn't break away from their own fights to go help. But Hinata didn't need help as she pulled back on the invisible string of chakra that connected her chakram with her. The circular weapons wrenches free from the tree and slices through the head of the scar face before it even knew what hit it.

The Spikin leaders body goes limp and falls to the ground while its head goes rolling off to the side. Hinata rushes in and helps Ai free herself from the hold of the dead beast tail. "Where'd you learn to do that?" asked Ai.

"It's what Naruto would have done" replied Hinata happily.

With the leader dead and as expected, the other Spikin start to lose focus and a few minutes later, this current section of the forest is littered with the remains of the Makian threat.

"Is that all of them?" asked Kumi.

"There's no other unknown pressure being produced within my barrier" says Izumi.

"Hold on" says Ai as she leans down and places a hand on the ground.

Ai had a special talent to sense tremors from the ground; a talent few others did. And she could feel something was circling them from the underground. "Kumi, I'm picking up fifteen Molar's beneath us."

"On it" replies Kumi as she places her lance back onto her back, then pulls out a scroll and produces a massive mallet from it. She then channels chakra into the mallet before swinging back, then hammering the mallet hard into the ground. The impact forces the Molar's to the surface do to sound wave confusion.

After a few seconds, the Molar's joined the Spikin in death. "Well, Tenten?" asked Kumi.

"I think that's all of them. Based on what the villager's told us and doing a count of dead, I think this was all of them. OK, there must be a portal nearby. Let's go find it and..."

The sudden impact tremor stops Tenten mid-sentence. Another impact tremor follows, and then another and another. Then, a sound of trees being pushed and falling to the ground can be heard. And then they heard the low bellowing sound. And then, they saw it.

"Dammit" says Tenten, her voice wavering and nervous.

"A Huskadon" says Kumi, taking a step back in fear.

Having never seen one before, Hinata, Ai, and Izumi can only look on in terror as the beast draws closer to them. The thing was massive; at least four times the size of an elephant. It had massive tusk junting out from its mouth, a wild mane of hair racing down its back and a long tail that ended in a club that likely could take a human's head clear off with a simple swing. And like an elephant, it had a long trunk, but was lined in smaller blade like points. And its feet had long sharp claws for toes.

"Can we...can we beat it?" asked Ai.

"Not just the five of us...impossible" says Kumi.

"But, the village?" asked Izumi.

Tenten grits her teeth, then says "We are Slayer's and we'll do our duty, no matter what. And remember what I said before still stands. No one is allowed to die on my watch."

Hinata, to be honest, was absolutely terrified right now, which was more than normal. And she was really wishing Naruto was here now as he would know what to do. But Naruto wasn't here and it was up to her to be the savior for others this time.

But then, she remembers what lady Chiyo had told her about Makian's like these. A Makian of this size did have one weakness. If it's chakra core could be destroyed, then it would die instantly. The problem was finding the core, then sending enough foreign chakra blasting into it to destroy it.

Well, it was impossible for most. But not Hinata. Knowing that it was all up to her, Hinata tightens her fist, then charges forward, ignoring the sudden cries of shock from her Sister's as she rushes the Huskadon. The beast swings its massive trunk at her to swat the annoying fly away. Hinata jumps and somehow grabs hold, blood being drawn from her hands as she holds tight till he grip fails and she's sent flying skyward.

Though airborne, Hinata is able to shift her angle so she is looking back down at the beast. She then makes several hand signs to activate her secret weapon, the Byakugan. Immediately, the image she sees of the Huskadon changes from being fully visible to being more ghostly with hundreds of chakra pathways flowing through it.

She could make out a central point that was larger than the pathways that appeared to bu along the beast underside. Falling back towards the earth, Hinata sends her claws slashing into the fleshy face of the beast to help slow her decent, making the beast roar in pain as she does this.

Hinata hits the ground, already running under the beast. She notices that her right claw was now destroyed due to her little stunt, but that didn't matter as she pulls out her extendable lance. She knows she has to be quick in order to avoid being crushed under the beast clawed hoofs. She can now see the chakra core of the Huskadon clearly and she waste no time lining herself up under it.

Hinata rears back, then stabs her lance upwards as hard as she can, penetrating the beast hide. Seeing that she had a connection to the core, she sends all the chakra she can bursting into the Huskadon's core. For just a second, it appears that nothing is happening. Then the core begins to distort and flicker before bursting in a bright light. The Huskadon roars in pain before its knees buckle and starts to fall onto the ground and atop Hinata.

"Hinata" shouts Tenten as she runs under the collapsing beast and saves Hinata, who's action had left her to drained to save herself. Tenten just barely gets them clear before the beast can crush them beneath itself.

Hinata can see that Tenten was angry, but still finds herself saying "So, did I get it?"

"Did you get it? DID YOU GET IT? Hinata, you..." says Tenten, sounding really angry. But she takes in a deep breath, then says in an annoyed voice "Don't you ever, EVER do something that stupid ever again. Do you understand me?"

"Ah, what's wrong Tenten. Are you really mad that she almost died doing that? Or are you mad because Hinata just outdid you in the cool category?" asked an amused Kumi.

"SHUT UP KUMI" shouts Tenten. "There's no way I'll ever lose my no.1 cool stunt title."

"Sure" replies Kumi.

"Hey, look" says Ai. Everyone looks to see that the Huskadon, Spikin, and Molar bodies were starting to fade away.

"I guess that means the portal has been closed" says Izumi.

"Then our work here is done then" says Tenten. "Let's head back before anyone notices that we're gone."

As they begin to head back, Hinata thinks _'I wonder if Han had something to do with it.'_

**(the next morning)**

"We thank you for your help in healing us, my dears" says the leader of Nozuma.

"There's no need for thanks, sir. We just did what is natural for our order" replies Tenten. "And now that everyone has recovered, we must be heading back home."

"Wait a moment" says the leader, getting their attention. "The morning is late. Would you at least stay till after lunch? This way, we'll be able to give you a more proper thank you and your return home will be on a full stomach."

"You make a good case, sir" says Tenten, knowing this would save them a stop on the road and only delay their return home from late afternoon to the evening, just in time for dinner. "Very well, we'll accept your offer."

"Excellent. I'll instruct our best cooks to make a meal that will truly show our gratitude" says the elder as he turns and heads for the main hall.

As the Slayer's go to follow, Hinata notices Han from the corner of her eye. She falls out of step from the others and when Ai ask her if something was wrong, Hinata replies that she'll be right behind them. She then heads after Han who was already heading towards the south gate entrance.

Hinata finally catches up with him at the gate, asking "Was that you who sealed the Makian gate?"

"Yes, just as I know you dealt with the Makian's for me. Thank you" replies Han.

"Sir, could you..." Hinata starts to say, wanting to know more and how he knew about the Order of Ama's secret when Tenten's voice interrupts her question.

"Hinata, where'd you run off to?"

"I'm over here, Tenten" shouts back Hinata as she moves over to the gate to join her Sister, failing to notice Han's change in demeanor at hearing Tenten's name.

Once she was standing next to Hinata, Tenten ask "OK missy, why did you run off like that?"

"I saw master Han and I want to...Tenten?" says Hinata, seeing Tenten's eyes go wide at hearing Han's name. Without a word, Tenten rushes forward, passing the gate and begins to look around frantically.

"Han? Han? Master Han?" shouts Tenten, an almost desperate sound was present in her voice.

"Tenten, what is it? What's wrong? Do you know master Han?" asked Hinata.

Tenten is quiet for a moment, then says "No, I...just jumped the gun there." She then laughs in an attempt to throw Hinata ask. "Never mind that, we better head back."

Then Tenten walks off, ignoring Hinata's attempt to bring up the topic. Hinata takes one last look around, unable to see Han anywhere. She then follows after Tenten, wondering what the heck had just happened.

Han raced across the ground; Nozuma already a dot in the distance behind him, before he allows himself to stop and look back towards it. An image of the fourteen year old Tenten appears in his mind.

_'You have your mothers face and spirit, Mae. Please, just wait a little longer for me' _thinks Han before continuing on his way. Now was not the time for their reunion. Nor was it the time for them to return home. They both still had things they needed to do, to learn, before that day could come.

But that day will come. But that is a story for another day. And in time, you will get to know it...

**(three days later, western Chin-Xi border)**

The group came to a stop as Sai raised a hand and scanned the expanse before them. He then turned back and looked at the six imperial guard and gave them a quick nod. Without a word, the guards turn and began to walk back down the road.

Now looking at Jiraiya, Sai says "Here's where we part ways. Before you is a demilitarized zone, or just Zone for short, that spans fifty miles westward."

"A de-what zone?" asked a confused Kiba.

"What he means is that the area just past the Chin-Xi border here is neutral ground. It is neither owned or claimed by Chin-Xi or the neighboring lands and is used as safe havens as no fighting is permitted" explained Jiraiya, then adds "Within reason, of course."

"So, now can you tell us where Tsunade is or was that a lie?" asked Naruto.

"I assure you that it wasn't a lie" said Sai before turning and points towards the lengthy road through the zone. "Just stay to the road here and you'll eventually reach a split within the path. Three to be exact. The way south leads to the fishing village of Welbourne, the path west is obvious as it leads to our neighboring lands. And to the north is the great Hazama Mountains, which is where you can find the isolated village of Takeihama and it is here you'll find Tsunade."

"Are you sure of this?" questioned Jiraiya.

"I've already verified this information personally. Apparently, there has been a mysterious outbreak that's afflicting the people there and Tsunade has been trying to help them" explained Sai.

"If that's true, then aren't you afraid you might have been infected by whatever the people are suffering from?" asked Kiba.

Sai shakes his head, saying "Not with the method that I used. I didn't go myself, but I used a special technique that allows me to gather intel without exposing myself to danger."

_'Could he have a Chin-Xi version of the Shadow Clone jutsu?' _wondered Naruto to himself.

"At any rate, you will find her there. You have my word on it."

Jiraiya nods, then says "Then I thank you for your help, Sai. And please be sure to tell your emperor of our gratitude as well."

"I will" said Sai as he starts to walk passed them. "Oh, there are two more things I must make you aware of before you depart."

"What is it?" asked Jiraiya.

"First, once you have reunited with Tsunade and are prepared to return to Shumoa, I would ask you to head to Welbourne and charter a boat from there."

"But didn't you say that it was a fishing village?" asked Gamakichi.

"I did. But they have been known to have dealings with you Shumoan's, so this shouldn't be to big an issue. Besides..." Sai doesn't finish what he was going to say.

_'We're lucky to be allowed to leave, given you suspect us of having contact with Underground. For us to return under any circumstance would be unwise'_ thinks Jiraiya before saying "I understand."

Sai nods, then says "The other thing is that I would advise you NOT to visit our nearest neighbor, the land of Iroh."

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"Iroh is known as the land of samurai and is led by a powerful man named Mifune. It is a dangerous land and if they learned that you had been in Chin-Xi, it is very likely you will be imprisioned under the assumption that you are all spies. And unless you can prove your not, you will be executed."

"eeehhhh" says Kiba as he imagines himself and the chopping block.

Sai turns and looks back, seeing the guard had already made a good distance from them, then turns back and says "Forget about Chin-Xi, all that you've seen and learned. This is our land, our fight, and there's no need to risk your lives because of our problems." And with that, Sai turned and headed back home.

As the now smaller group continued heading west, Gamakichi ask "What do you think he meant by that, anyways?"

Jiraiya scratches his chin in contemplation before saying "I wonder..." Was it possible that Sai was one of the double agents Choza said that had managed to infiltrate Danzo's regime for the Underground.

"Hey, pervy sage. The sun's already starting to set" notes Naruto looking up into the now amber colored sky. "You think we can make Takeihamabefore night fall?"

"I doubt it" replies Jiraiya as he looks at his map. "It's around twenty three miles till we hit that fork in the road, plus another twelve till Takeihama. We'll keep going for another five miles, then we'll set up camp for the night. So let's pick up the pace while we still have light."

After about another hour or so, the sun had faded from the sky and the ground was being bathed in the light of the newly risen moon and the small camp fire the group had constructed. Jiraiya was busy making dinner for them.

"Hey, what did you just drop into the pot?" asked Kiba, noticing the Jiraiya had pulled a small pouch from his pack and had sprinkled something into the pot.

"Just a little something to bring out the flavor in the meal here. What I'm cooking up will fill you up well into the coming morning, but the taste isn't all that memorable. But, with a little addition of this here" holding out the pouch before putting it back into his pack, "you'll find your taste buds are in for a real treat."

"All right then, bring on the grub" says Kiba, now more hungry than ever.

After another five minutes, Jiraiya hands their dinner out, then tells everyone to chow down before going at his own plate like a man who hadn't eaten anything decent in years. Gamakichi seemed to be following his lead by worthing his portion down. And Naruto was eating is with a bit more caution while Akamaru and Kiba eating like you'd expect them to eat.

"I don't know, old man. Seems kind of bland to me" comments Kiba on Jiraiya's claim before yawning.

A few seconds later, Kiba collapses back and begins to snore loudly. "Kiba, are you OK?" ask a worried Naruto as he jumps to his feet. He then notices that Akamaru had curled up into a ball and was also sleeping. Turning to look at Jiraiya, Naruto shouts "What did you do to them?"

"To all of us, you mean. That little addition I made was a sleep potion. A rather potent one too. They'll both be out till morning" was the reply.

"But why? And why weren't we three effected as well?" asked Naruto, now more confused than angry.

"The answer to question two is that I've built up an immunity to this stuff, Gamakichi wouldn't be effected do to him being what he is, and you have a super strong immune system thanks to Kyubi's chakra. As for the first question? Now that Kiba's asleep, I can give you your next phase of training."

"The next phase? Is it that regulation training I'm in need of for the Summoning Jutsu? And why would you need Kiba and Akamaru to be out for it?" asked Naruto.

"And my answers in order are; in a way, yes. And because Kiba would want to learn this jutsu after the demonstration and I'm afraid Akamaru would tell Kiba about it and in turn, Kiba would ask me to train him as well. Personally, him sleeping through the explanation and demonstration is easier."

"Why would Kiba want to learn it?" asked Naruto.

"Hey Jiraiya; are you talking about what I think you're talking about?" asked Gamakichi.

"Your thinking's on the ball" replied Jiraiya.

Gamakichi looks at Naruto and says "Oh boy, you are going to love this."

"Just tell me what this training is?" ask Naruto, getting impatient with being out of the loop.

"Before I explain, I'll show you" said Jiraiya as he gets up and notices a large rock rising from the ground a few dozen yards away. "Naruto, create a Shadow Clone and have it stand between me and the rock."

"Huh?" asked a confused Naruto. But as Jiraiya and Gamakichi don't speak further, he shrugs and does so. The clone, doing as told, walks and stands about twenty feet from Jiraiya.

"Now Naruto, watch me closely" instructs Jiraiya.

Once he has Naruto's attention, Jiraiya holds his right hand out before him and begins to gather his chakra. For a second, nothing happens until Naruto sees a ball of chakra beginning to form. He watches in amazement as the ball grows bigger and the chakra making it up more wilder.

"OK, now watch this...and brace yourself as this might sting a bit" instructs Jiraiya before launching forward and slams the ball of chakra into the clones stomach. Naruto watches in shock as his clones face contorts into pain and discomfort as the sphere digs into him. And then, the clone is blasted back at an incredible speed, slamming into the large rock, leaving it deeply impacted and the rock seriously cracked.

After a second, the clone burst out of existence and Naruto cries out as he slumps over. He feels Jiraiya's hand on him and looks up, sweat on his face and his breathing ragged as he ask "Ju...Just what the heck was that?"

"That is what you'll be learning next. You OK?" asked Jiraiya.

"Yeah, it's already fading" replies Naruto.

After a few minutes, Naruto was feeling back to normal, but was still disturbed by the large red bruise on his stomach and knew it would be a while before that faded, let alone felt normal. "OK, just why did you do that anyway? That hurt, ya know."

"Yeah, sorry about that" replies Jiraiya sheepishly. But I felt feeling the effects via a clone would help you understand the power within that jutsu. And just so you know, what I hit the clone with was only thirty percent of the jutsu's full power."

"Only thirty percent?" says Naruto in disbelief. Just thirty percent could hurt that much? Then what could one hundred percent do, feel like? Pushing that question aside for the moment, Naruto instead ask "So, how does learning this jutsu help me with master Summoning?"

"Simple, this jutsu will require perfect chakra regulation in order to master it. And if you can master it, then you'll master the Summoning Jutsu too. You'll learn a powerful battle jutsu and master another. Killing two birds with one stone as they say."

"OK, so how do I begin learning this jutsu?" asked Naruto.

Jiraiya reaches into his pack and pulls out another bag; one that Naruto recognizes as the one Choza had given Jiraiya when they had parted. Jiraiya then pulls out several bags filled with deflated rubber balloons and a dozen rubber balls.

"I was wondering what was in that bag" comments Naruto.

"OK, here's what you'll be doing. This regulation training will be broken into three parts; rotation, power, and control. With rotation, you'll be working with a water balloon and your goal is to use rotation with chakra in order to make it pop. Once mastered, we'll move on to power where you'll do the same thing, except you'll be trying to destroy the rubber balls with chakra. And then, the last phase will be a simple air filled balloon, except your goal is to not make it pop while adding the full rotation and power you learned from the first two. And success will net you mastery over two powerful jutsu."

"And now I understand why you wanted Kiba out for this" comments Naruto before asking "So, how are we gonna fill the balloons with water? I don't see and fountains nearby?"

"I'll show you in the moment" says Jiraiya before he looks at Gamakichi and says "I'm counting on you to help Naruto out."

"Will do" replies Gamakichi.

"Now then, let's get this training started. We'll work on it for an hour or so, then we'll turn in for the night. Just remember to not tell Kiba about the jutsu."

Naruto nods as Jiraiya shows him how they'll be filling the balloons with water.

**next time: target located, a cherry blossom with bite, and the village of shaman's**


	43. 43 Waste Away 1

**Naruto Overdrive**

It was well into mid day as the group found themselves walking up a sloped path. They noticed the sky was starting to cloud up and they hoped that it wouldn't start raining on them while they were still out on the road.

"Hey guys, check it out. I think we're here" shouts Kiba as he points out the steps a few yards away.

Walking up to it, Jiraiya leans down and runs his hand along the stone before returning to his feet, saying "Definitely man made."

They all look along the path, seeing the steps continue up higher and higher till they saw what appeared to be a large wooded totem gate that was about a fifteen minute jaunt away. "You think we've found Takeihama, Pervy Sage?" asked Naruto.

"I believe so" replied Jiraiya. "Kiba, can you and Akamaru pick up Tsunade's scent?"

"Let's see." Kiba channels chakra into his nose and begins sniffing while Akamaru also lifts himself up from Kiba's head and takes in the mountain air. After a few moments, Kiba smiles and says "Oh yeah, I'm getting her fragrance alright." Akamaru barks in agreement.

"At last, the reunion of old friends" chimes Gamakichi, looking at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya begins walking further up the path, saying "Hope she's in a good mood."

"Why?" asked Kiba.

"Easier to have a reunion with. Besides...she might still be a little sore about what happened the last time we saw one another" replies Jiraiya sheepishly.

Naruto sighs, shaking his head while thinking _'I can only image what.'_

**chapter 43: Waste Away 1**

As the approached the entry gate to Takeihama, the saw a man dressed in simple yet unique clothing leaning against the gate; a guard most likely. Seeing as there weren't no noticable wall structure around the village, Jiraiya assumed that this guard was only stationed here do to what was happening and was ordered to keep outsiders away if possible.

Beginning to walk up the final set of steps, the man moves quickly down to them, saying "Hold travelers. I'm gonna have to ask you to turn away and find shelter elsewhere."

"Is something wrong, sir? I heard that Takeihama was a welcoming place for travelers to find shelter in" replied Jiraiya, wanting to see how he would react.

The man hesitated for a bit, obviously not sure how to reply. "Our village is...under normal circumstances. But...you see, we..."

Not wanting to make this continue, Jiraiya says "It's all right, sir. We're already aware of what is happening here."

"You are?" replied the man in shock. "Then why have you come here? Surely, you must be worried about being exposed to the sickness then?"

"Hey, yeah. I never thought abut that. Aren't we in danger of getting sick by coming here?" asked a worried Kiba.

"It'll be fine, you guys. Trust me" says Jiraiya, looking at them. He then looks back at the man and says "It is a risk, but our mission is to important to put on hold. Tell me, is a woman named Tsunade Senju here right now?"

"Actually, yes. There is a woman by that name here. She's been working closely with our leader to deduce the source of this sickness and develop a cure for those inflicted. May I ask why you seek her?"

"Me and her come from the same home village and I was asked to deliver a message to her. Please, will you take us to her?" asked Jiraiya.

"I...very well. But don't blame me if you get sick as well" said the man before turning and heading into the village.

"Hey guys, I think me and Akamaru will stay here. Guard the gate, ya know" says a nervous Kiba as he starts to back away. His escape is stopped by Naruto who grabs the collar of his jacket and drags him back.

"Kiba, think about it. We've already likely been exposed just by coming this far. After all, it's not like they've set up a quarantine zone outside the village to maximize containment" points out Gamakichi.

"My partner brings up a good point, sir. Why hasn't a quarantine zone been made outside the village area?" asked Naruto.

"We should have, huh?" was the reply as the man scratches his head nervously. "Truth be told, ours is a village that's a little out of the way and we rarely get visitors unless they're on official business. Besides, we don't have anything that could be used to make an effective quarantine zone anyways."

As they moved through the village, the groups noticed the style used for the building construction was quite different from what they had seen in Bei-Shao and definitely different than the style of Quan Khan. It appeared to be a much more older and simple design than what they had been expose to thus far.

"Miss Tsunade should be in there" states the man as the approach a modest sized home. Once they had come to a stop, the man shouts out "Lady Tsunade, are you here?"

"Just a moment" was the reply from within.

"Hey Naruto, is it just me or did Tsunade sound really cute for a chick in her fifties?" asked Kiba.

Naruto simple shrugs as Jiraiya thinks _'That voice was younger than I remember her sounding.'_

Just then, the door opens and a petite girl with pink hair steps out and ask "Who is it?"

Before anyone can speak, Kiba steps forward and gets really close to the girl and starts sniffing her. The girl, in turn, backs away nervously.

"Hey Jiraiya, you sure this is her? The chick in that picture had blond hair; she has pink. The picture shows her with huge knockers, yet she doesn't even have mosquito bites in person. Smells about the same though" says Kiba as he continues to sniff as he moves around her.

Now the girl had gone from nervous to shocked to annoyed, clenching her fist as Kiba stands back, looks at her while asking "Also, did Tsunade always have such a big forehead?" That was the straw the broke this camels back.

The girl grabs Kiba by the front of his jacket and drags him close to her, a look of pure rage having developed on her face and making Kiba become deathly afraid. Knowing what was coming, Akamaru jumps from his head to save himself.

"I know my hair is a little weird because of its color. I know I'm flatter than a pancake. And I might be willing to forgive a guy for sniffing me up in excess...which shows my ability to restrain myself" says the girl in a cold, but even tone. Kiba blushes, realizing he had done more sniffing than necessary.

"BUT MAKING FUN OF MY FORHEAD IS WHERE I DRAW THE LINE, **CHA!**" screams the girl before punching Kiba in the stomach with enough force to smash a rock. The poor, dumb member of the Inuzuka clan goes flying back a good click, smacking the ground and leaving a broken, bloody lump in his place.

"Holy maggots, she is Tsunade" shouts Gamakichi.

"Huh? Lady Tsunade? So you're looking for her?" asked the girl, now back to her previous persona.

"You explain, I'll collect Kiba's body" says Naruto before walking over to get the possibly dead tracker.

"My name is Jiraiya and I was sent to find Tsunade and deliver a message to her."

"Jiraiya?" replies Sakura, taking on a thinking pose. "Oh yeah, I remember hearing your name a few times being mentioned in my travels." She then gives him a suspicious look, asking "Are you really here to deliver a message?"

"On my honor" replies Jiraiya, tapping his chest with his fist.

"I wonder about that" wonders Sakura aloud. "Anyways, Lady Tsunade is over with lord Yohmei; discussing her latest findings on this curse."

"Could you take them to see her, miss Sakura? I need to get back to the gate and keep watch for more travelers" asked the man, earning a nod from Sakura.

After he departs, Sakura says "OK, follow me."

As they once again traverse through the village, Naruto, who was holding a still unconscious Kiba on his back and Akamaru trotting along at his side, ask "You said curse just a moment ago. So this isn't a sickness?"

"Well, it is a sickness and yet its not" replies Sakura looking at Naruto and Jiraiya sheepishly. "I guess the best way to put it is that though on the outside, it would appear to be a sickness. But there is something more behind it as conventional medicine can't seem to cure it."

"Not that that hasn't stopped Tsunade from trying though, right?" inquired Jiraiya.

"Nope, never. She swore that she'd find a cure. No matter how difficult and unconventional it has to be. But to be honest, we're starting to wonder if there isn't some outside source behind it all."

"Has anyone died from it yet?" asked Gamakichi.

"Luckily, no. The worst case seen so far is people being bed ridden with a feeling of dizziness and nausea and a slight fever along with a drained feeling. But no one has died yet, thank kami" says Sakura with a relieved tone. She then stops and says "Where are my manners. I haven't properly introduced myself yet."

She places her hand over her chest and says "I'm Sakura Haruno, from the village of Oydama."

"You already know my name" replies Jiraiya, who looks back and says "That's Naruto Uzumaki, my apprentice. Gamakichi from Mt. Myoboku and Naruto's summons partner. And the wishing he was dead guy is Kiba Inuzuka, from a clan of famous trackers and his partner Akamaru."

"Nice to meet you" says Naruto, nodding at Sakura while Gamakichi also nods and Akamaru yips.

"You too, guys" replies Sakura before they start walking again.

"By the way, you said you're from Oydama, correct? The Oydama located in south Shauti, correct?" asked Jiraiya.

"That's right?"

"Then my telling me how you came to be here? I'm guessing your apprenticing under Tsunade. But she already has an apprentice; Shizune, if I remember correctly" asked Jiraiya.

"Both are correct" replies Sakura.

"Originally, I lived in Oydama with my grandfather, a former Kumo nin who was well known as the flaming phoenix of the sky. My parents had died when I was still young and he was taking care of me. One day, a boy named Sasuke Uchiha came to our village, looking for grandpa."

_'Huh? Sasuke?'_ thinks Naruto, remembering the guy they had met the same day as Jiraiya, Guy, and Lee.

"This was about three and a half years ago. Sasuke had heard of my grandpa and his famous Phoenix Armor jutsu and had come to our village, asking grandpa to teach it to him. Of course, grandpa refused seeing as he didn't want a jutsu like that to fall into the wrong hands."

"Though Sasuke tried to persuade him, grandpa wouldn't reconsider and Sasuke left. Later that night, a group of men who had also come to our village, under the cover of darkness, kidnapped me and several other young girls from our homes and took us away from the village."

"They planned to sell us on the black market as slaves. Given our youth, they knew they could get a high price as we would be virgins and...Anyways, we were all scared as to what was going to happen to us."

"But we were saved by Sasuke, who had seen the man leading the group and must have recognized his face seeing as he had followed them and took them all out. He returned us to our home and handed the men over to the authorities. After that, he started to leave, but grandpa stopped him."

"He asked why Sasuke had risked himself to save us. Sasuke replied that he hates people like them, that to kidnap a girl and sell her was wrong; selling her into a sexual servitude was even worse. Grandpa then asked why he wanted to learn the Phoenix Armor jutsu."

"Sasuke's reply was that he was seeking power. Power to bring an evil man to justice and to protect people from having to suffer the pain he had suffered when his whole clan had been slaughtered. Grandpa decided to teach him as his way of thanking Sasuke for saving me and the other girls."

Both Naruto and Jiraiya noticed Sakura's cheeks being tinted pink whenever she said Sasuke's name. Obviously, this girl had strong feelings for her savior.

"Over the next few weeks, I got to know Sasuke pretty well and...Anyways, once he had learned the jutsu, he thanked grandpa and went on his way. But before he left, I told him that I wanted to repay him for saving me as well, though he told me that it wasn't necessary."

"But I was insistent and he finally relented, saying that if I could learn medical ninjutsu, saying that he was having difficulty there, he would appreciate it. So I dedicated myself to becoming the best medic I could. A few months later, grandpa died and I was alone."

"That's when I first heard stories of Lady Tsunade and when I heard she was passing through a neighboring village, I set out to meet her. Though she refused to take me on at first, due to her already having an apprentice in Shizune. I refused to take no for an answer and I guess she liked what she was seeing in my eyes. She took me on and I've been traveling with them ever since."

"Well, judging from that punch you gave poor Kiba back there, I'd say Tsunade's been teaching you more than just medical ninjutsu." Sakura blushes in embarrassment from that.

Up at the village leaders home, a brown haired girl wearing a dark garb was sitting upon the wooden walkway, feeling a little exasperated. An oinking sound makes her look at her companion and smiles. "I know, Tonton. Just what are we gonna do with Lady Tsunade?" wondered Shizune as she runs her hand across Tonton's back.

"Hey, Shizune" comes Sakura's voice as she comes into view.

"Sakura" replies Shizune, happy to see her fellow student showing up. Maybe together, they could convince Tsunade that drinking herself into a stupor along with the village elder wasn't going to solve this problem.

"How did the test go?" asked Shizune.

Sakura shakes her head, saying "Sorry. It was a failure. Just like all the other ones."

"Oh great, that'll get Lady Tsunade to stop her drinking party" states Shizune blandly, knowing how not true that was. She then notices the guys standing behind Sakura.

Grinning and blushing just a bit, Shizune says "Why Sakura, you vixen. I didn't know you had two boyfriends. So, how do you three...ya know, spend your times together?"

'Wha...?" stammers Sakura, a mad blush covering her whole face before becoming angry and shouting "Shizune, you know I given my heart and soul to another guy. What makes you think I'd go around boinking random guys?"

Shizune just laughs, saying "Relax, I'm only teasing you. Seriously though, just who are these two? I don't think I've seen them around the village before."

"Huh, two?" says Sakura as she turns and realizes that Jiraiya was missing and Kiba had regained consciousness and was standing on his own again, though he was a little bent forward, a hand pressed to one stomach.

Before anyone could talk, Shizune feels a pair of hands come over her chest and press and squeeze down a few quick times, making her go rigid. "Well, well, long time know see, Shizune."

"" screams Shizune, jumping away from Jiraiya.

"Hey, you sonuva..." Sakura starts to say as she moves forward to punch Jiraiya, but is stopped by Naruto. "Hey, what are you doing?" asked Sakura as she looks back at him.

"Just let him be" replied an annoyed Naruto.

"Are you kidding? After he molested Shizune, I..."

"Just let it go, trust me" said Naruto more serious. "Pervy Sage suffers from bad karma. Trust me when I say that he'll get what's coming to him soon. Just sit back, wait, and you'll see what I mean."

"Fine" says Sakura in a huff, deciding to trust Naruto's judgment on this one.

"I see your still as beautiful as ever, Shizune. Though it appears your chest hasn't gotten much bigger since I last saw you" says a smiling Jiraiya.

"Ma...Ma...Master Jiraiya, it's you" replies a shocked Shizune.

"Yep, it's me alright. Let's see, it's been about eleven years right? So, you reconsider my offer to help me with my research yet?"

"I...I" was Shizune's reply, trying to find the words to speak with.

"WHAT THE HELL'S WITH ALL THAT RACKET OUT THERE?" comes a voice from inside the home. A second later, a wooden door slides open and a young woman with blond hair and huge boobs comes storming out.

"Shizune, just what is the..." Tsunade starts to say till her eyes fall onto Jiraiya's face.

"Hey, long time no see, **partner**" says Jiraiya as warmly as possible.

"Jiraiya?" replies Tsunade, a mixture of surprise and confusion in her voice. This quickly switches into anger as she lunges forward and sends a punch slamming with shock wave producing force into Jiraiya's face. The impact sends the poor Toad Sage flying off into the cloudy sky.

"See what I mean?" says Naruto to Sakura, who nods in shocked agreement.

"I told you I didn't want to see your face again" shouts Tsunade as she does this.

With Jiraiya likely now half way to the Naruto Overdrive version of America, Tsunade takes a deep breath, then looks at a freaked Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, Gamakichi and a mildly freaked Shizune and Sakura and says in a more cheerful tone "So, anyone want to have some saki with us?"

A few minutes later, everyone had gathered inside the elders house, including Jiraiya who's face was being fixed up by Shizune. Naruto noticed a slight blush of Shizune's face, which made him wonder if her blush was due to Jiraiya's groping her or if there was a more personal history between them despite the thirty or so years age difference between them.

"So, I take it that these individual's are also from Shumoa" asked the elder, a man of small size and white hair that puffed out along the sides with a large bald spot on top.

"That's right" replies Tsunade.

"Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Yohmei Asakura, head of the Asakura family and current leader of Takeihama."

Following the introductions (which I'll skip as you should know this by now), Yohmei looks at Jiraiya and ask "So what brings you to our shores and to our village despite the risk you put yourself into for coming here?"

"Tsunade, actually" replies Jiraiya, not failing to notice the look that Tsunade was giving him. He knew that she would be studying each and ever word he said in order to determine the validity of the truth behind them.

"We have known each other for many years; since we were kids. Furthermore, we also shared the same master and it is at his request that I'm here now" continued Jiraiya.

"And what would Sarutobi-sensei want with me? I left that life and those times behind years ago?" asked Tsunade, a note of annoyance in her voice.

"He's dying, Tsunade. And before he departs to the next world, he want us to be there with him together one last time so he may pass on to us that which he feels is needed to be passed on" said Jiraiya.

Tsunade scoffs, then gives a hard laugh and says "If you say so. Personally, I could care less as to what he would want to say to me; let alone pass on."

"Tsunade..." says Jiraiya, a strong and serious tone in his voice that took Naruto by surprise.

"Go back home, Jiraiya. And tell the old man to forget about me. I'm not his student anymore" adds Tsunade, wanting to have this conversation done.

"Lady Tsunade" Shizune shouts, her voice filled with with shock.

Now angry himself, Jiraiya says something he would immediately regret afterwords. "You sound like Orochimaru there."

_'Who?'_ wonders Naruto.

Tsunade jumps to her feet, her face contorted into rage as she shouts "Get out. Go back home, and never show your face to me again."

"That's enough" shouts Yohmei, slamming a fist onto the table before him. Everyone jumps as they look at him as he looks at Tsunade and says "From what I gather, you have some personal issues connected with your past. And I won't pry into that past. However, this is my house, my village. And whatever issues you may have, I'll ask you to keep them in check while you're here."

Tsunade huffs, then takes a deep breath before sitting back down. "My appologies, lord Yohmei. I did let my emotions get the best of me." She then looks at Jiraiya and says "In any event, I can't leave here till I've helped these people out. As a master of the medical arts, I cannot in good conscious leave them to suffer."

"I wasn't asking you to abandon them, Tsunade. I know you better than that; you would never leave a job unfinished. That's why I would like to help you if I can" says Jiraiya.

"Your no medical ninja, so I doubt you'll be of any help" laughed Tsunade, waving Jiraiya's offer off. But after a moment of silence, she says "However, I could use another pair of eyes and hands. Even if you know jack about medicine, you do know how to read at least so I guess I can use you."

Before anyone else could talk, a voice from outside catches their attentions. "Grandpa, grandpa. We need to talk to you."

Seconds later, the sliding door burst open and a boy wearing a slightly faded white shirt that was open in the front, dark gray pants, and brown spiky hair that was in an equally spiky pony tail runs in.

"Yoh, what is the meaning of this intrusion. Can't you see I'm meeting with guest?" shouts Yohmei, feeling exasperated at his grandson's lack of self restraint.

"I'm sorry, grandpa. But this is to important to wait. Tamao says she found where the curse is coming from" replied Yoh before steeping into the room. He is followed by a girl wearing a white shirt, baggy black pants, and pink hair that was cut short.

"Not the northern ruins again" said Yohmei, rubbing his temple with his index and middle finger.

"But sir, I have consulted my Ouija board using the skills taught to me by lady Kino multiple times and each time it produces the same results. The curse is coming from the Oyamada Temple ruins" says Tamao.

Yohmei sighs, then says "Tamao, we've been over this before. Though I have no doubt of your potential and I, as my Kino believes, you will one day make a strong Shugendo Priestess, but you need to keep in mind that you're still young and inexperienced."

"But grandpa..." Yoh starts to retort.

"And that's that" shouts Yohmei as he stands, making Yoh go quiet and Tamao jumping behind Yoh to hide herself. "I will here no more on this; so please leave us."

"But..." Yoh starts to say, but the look his grandfather gives him makes him stop. "Fine" he says in defeat as he turns and places a hand on Tamao's shoulder and leads her out of the room.

Yohmei sits down and says "My apologies for that interruption. The girl means well, that much I know. She feels she owes our family a debt for taking her in after my grandson found her and brought her back here years ago."

" But how can you be sure that she's wrong?" asked Naruto.

"Because I already considered the ruins when this outbreak for began. Long ago, our ancestor, a samurai named Amidamaru learned that the people of Takeihama were beset by a terrible curse. He came and found the source of the curse, a powerful Makian, and did battle with it. He was able to defeat it, but killing it proved to difficult. So the beast was sealed away within the old temple higher up on the mountain. Though the temple has fallen in ruin since those times, the seal has remained intact. I personally went and confirmed the seal's status myself. So as much as I would like to believe her, the evidence shows that the incident isn't connected with the old legend" explained Yohmei.

After a moment of silence, Tsunade gets up and says "Well, enough with this break. I better get back to work. Shizune, will you go see if the archivist found anymore of the documents I requested?"

"Yes, my lady" said Shizune as she gets up, though she makes a quick glance at Jiraiya as she leaves.

Tsunade shakes her head, but smiles none the less as she thinks _'I see you haven't gotten that out of your system yet.'_ She then looks at Yohmei and ask "Can Jiraiya and his companions be given some lodgings for the duration of their stay, which I doubt will be long."

"Of course" said Yohmei as he gets up and goes to make the arrangements.

"Sakura, I'd like for you to stay with these boys and help them get set up once they get their lodgings. Once that's done, come and see me" instructs Tsunade.

"Yes, milady" nods Sakura.

"Now, as for you" says Tsunade as she looks at Jiraiya, making him nervous. "You're coming with me" says Tsunade, grabs onto his arm and drags him from the room.

Once they had gotten back to Tsunade's lodgings, the former Konoha medical nin turns and says "OK, now tell me why you're really here."

"So, you did know I was giving out a falsehood back there."

"While I have no doubt Sarutobi-sensei would want to see me one last time if he really was dying. I had this feeling that your business was not one you were saying" says Tsunade as she sits down.

"You're right. But before I explain that, can we at least get the other stuff out of the way first?" asked Jiraiya as he sits down across from her. "By the way, sorry for that Orochimaru comparison back there."

"I was also out of line back there, so it's fine" says Tsunade, slightly annoyed. "So, who're the kids?"

"They already gave their names to Yohmei and I'm sure you heard them. As Kiba explained, he's from the famous Inuzuka family of bounty hunters that we hired to help find you. And though Naruto told everyone that he's my apprentice, the truth is that he's a Genin of Konoha, a student of Kakashi Hatake, who I requested be allowed to tag along with me" explained Jiraiya.

"He said his family name is Uzumaki, correct?" asked Tsunade, getting a nod in response. A sad look passes over Tsunade as she ask "Is he Kushina's..."

"Yeah. And judging from his hair, I'd have to assume that Minato is the father" says Jiraiya.

Tsunade smiles a little, saying "I'm not surprised seeing how Minato left quite the impression on her when he saved her. It's no wonder she ran away to follow him when you and him left."

"They were only with me for a few years before we parted ways" says Jiraiya.

"Does he know yet?" asked Jiraiya.

Jiraiya shakes his head, saying "I haven't said anything to him yet and I doubt sensei has either. And if sensei hasn't, then I'll respect that and stay quite as well for the time being."

Tsunade nods, then smirks as she says "By the way, I couldn't help but notice that Shizune's old crush on you is still lingering in her heart. Now that she's older, maybe you should take the opportunity to finally get yourself a girlfriend."

Jiraiya blushes and starts babbling about the age difference and other stuff, making Tsunade laugh. "Hm, just like old times. OK, enough beating around the bush. Tell me why you're really here."

**next time: A possible cure, Tamao's decision, secret of the temple ruins**

**N.O. Info**

**Naruto Invoke (movie fics):**

**Demon of the Blue Kingdom**

Long ago, the ocean kingdom of Aquilia, also known as the Blue Kingdom, was beset by a powerful Makian that arose from the ocean depths. A powerful priest came forth and sealed the beast away. Now, in modern times, the seal has been broken and the demon has return.

Konoha receives a mysterious request from someone in the Blue Kingdom asking for help in locating a valuable item, the Spike of Circe. So Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino are sent by Sarutobi, who sees this as training towards their eventual Chunin test.

But, upon arriving, the three Genin learn that the mission has far more going on with it than they could have ever imagined. The aged king, under the advice of his personal aid, has been offering up the descendants of the priest as sacrifice to the demon in hopes of ending the terror it brings.

Now, only the young priestess in training; a girl named Ruri, is left. In order to save her as well as all the people of the Blue Kingdom, Naruto and the gang must discover why the beast has returned as well as stopping it once and for all.

And when Hinata and Tenten arrive to slay the beast as well, can they keep Naruto from learning of the Order of Ama's big secret. The answer will be revealed here in a few weeks time when the first Naruto Invoke movie fic is released here on Fan Fiction.

Note: It will be released after the Beast Bonder chapter and before Eight Faced 1 chapter of N.O.


	44. 44 Waste Away 2

**Naruto Overdrive**

Despite the sickness that was currently afflicting many of the residents of Takeihama, the people still did their best to continue their day to day activities. And the newest arrivals had given everyone something to talk about. Yup, it was just another quiet day despite everyone's fears for the future.

"HE DID WHAT?" comes the voice of Tsunade from her temporary home. This makes anyone who heard it jump in surprise, then look towards her dwellings. And seeing as her shout had been loud enough for the whole village to hear her, the residents of Takeihama were now wondering just what had been so shocking that Tsunade would feel the need to shout like that.

Inside the guest lodgings supplied to Tsunade and her companions, said woman slumped back into her seat after having jumped to her feet in surprise and shock at what Jiraiya had just told her. She throws her head back, running her hands through her hair, as she tries to understand this rather drastic action.

"Wow, you took that better than I thought you would" joked Jiraiya, earning a sour glare from Tsunade. "No, I'm serious. I was expecting you to start busting up everything in sight will screaming obscenities towards sensei."

"Like I have the money to pay for the property damage now" says Tsunade.

"Ah, still have that gambling problem, I see" says Jiraiya, thinking back to the past. "The legendary medical ninja and Sanin of Slugs; Tsunade. The worlds worst gambler who never wins except on very rare occasions which she will take as a bad omen."

"Oh shut up, pervert boy" growls Tsunade before taking a deep breath.

**chpt.44: Waste Away 2**

After a moment, Tsunade ask "So tell me why sensei would think relocating the whole village to Senhana when our old friend is preparing an attack could possibly be a good idea?"

"From what I understand, he's hoping that the spirit of Senhana itself will rise up and aid in the battle. After all, legends do tell of the days when the trees would protect the Senju clan from danger" replies Jiraiya.

Tsunade shakes her head, then says "Has old age really clouded his judgment? Surely sensei knows that the trees won't just magically awaken and go onto the defense just because an enemy is attacking. Only a Senju, with the power of the Wood Style, can possibly commune with the spirit of Senhana and awaken it to perform the task needed. And last time I checked, grandpa was the last Wood Style master and he's long since dead."

"I said the same thing to him myself. And he told me that the issue is no longer an issue" replied Jiraiya.

"Wait?" said Tsunade, a look of shock and disbelief appearing on her face. "Are you telling me that another Wood Style user has been born or found?"

"That he didn't say. But it stands to reason though. He said that if you want the answer to that question, then you'll have to come home" says Jiraiya.

"Crafty old man. At least in that regard, he hasn't lost his touch" said Tsunade, unable to repress a smile.

"Also, he wants you to succeed him as the Fourth Hokage" adds Jiraiya.

"Are you kidding? He wants me to be Hokage? Has Konoha's stock really gone that far down hill since our time?" asked Tsunade.

"He says that, apart from a few notable exceptions, there isn't anyone truly qualified for the position. And the few who are either don't have the experience or the desire to be Hokage."

"What about you? You'd make a good Hokage" asked Tsunade.

"He did ask me, but I'm not interested in doing a desk job. Besides, I feel I would better serve the village out in the field, gathering information. And we both know you're a better leader than I ever could be."

Tsunade is quiet for a moment as she gives this some thought. "OK, here's the deal. Once we've helped these people, I'll come back to Senhana with you...to defend my ancestral home. As a Senju, it is my duty to do so after all. As for this whole Hokage business. I'll make my decision AFTER the battle has been won and I've had a chance to talk with Sarutobi-sensei myself. Agreed?"

Jiraiya nods, then says "I was only asked to bring you back. Not to get you to agree with being Hokage. That will be sensei's job and duty after all." Jiraiya then gets up and ask "So, what can I help with here?"

Tsunade gets up as well and points to a large stack of books. "Start reading."

"OK, and I'm looking for what exactly?" asked Jiraiya.

Tsunade reaches into her pocket and pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Jiraiya. "That contains everything I know about this disease at present. See if you can find anything in those books that can counter it."

And with that, they get to work on finding the cure.

**(with Naruto and Kiba)**

Not far away, the sound of popping could be heard, drawing Sakura's attention as she looked for the source of the popping. Exiting the small building that was being used for Jiraiya and the guys to stay in for the duration of their stay, she makes her way round back and finds Naruto and Gamakichi.

"Alright, you all most got it, Naruto" says Gamakichi as he claps his slippery hands.

"Hey Naruto, what are you doing?" asked Sakura, walking up to him.

"Huh?" says Naruto, his attention drawn from getting the next balloon to look at Sakura. "Oh, hey Sakura. I thought you had left already."

"I was going to, but Kiba needed me to help him figure out how to fire up their version of a grill to cook some lunch up. Then, of course, he realized that the pantry was empty. He and Akamaru took off to get some food. Wonder if he knows about the different currency here" replied Sakura, a hint of amusement present in her voice. She had to admit, Kiba was a good source for a cheap laugh.

"He'll manage somehow." Naruto then grabs another balloon from the pouch he had slung to his side and uses the seal phial to fill it with water. "Now, as for your question? I'm working on my chakra regulation training."

"Regulation training?" wondered Sakura aloud.

"For the summoning jutsu" explained Naruto as he begins to process again. After a few seconds, the balloon pops, then Naruto turns his attention to Sakura. "I can summon well enough to bring a toad that's Gamakichi's size here, but I found that most of the chakra I try to put into the seal just bleeds out into the air when I try to summon. Hence the regulation training."

Sakura nods, saying "To help you gain better control of your chakra. But why a water balloon?"

"Yeah, that does seem rather odd" agrees Naruto, chuckling nervously. But, he figures, Sakura wouldn't be interested in the full intention of this training like Kiba likely would, so he figured that there'd be no harm in telling her at least. Besides, maybe Sakura may have a few ideas to help him.

"Well the truth is..."

"Hey, is anyone here?" comes a familiar voice from the front of the lodgings.

"Yeah, we're back here, Yoh" shouts Sakura.

A moment later, Yoh and Tamao appear and join Naruto, Sakura, and Gamakichi in the backyard. "So, we aren't interrupting anything personal, are we?" asked Yoh, grinning a little while Tamao blushes.

Sakura blushes as well, then shouts "No, you weren't interrupting anything. Certainty not something like THAT. I was just wondering what was causing a popping sound."

"Huh? What popping sound?" asked Yoh.

"This one" says Naruto as he pops another water balloon, getting an "Oh" from Yoh and Tamao. "Anyway, were you looking of us?"

"I was? Oh yeah, I guess I was, huh?" chuckles Yoh who had forgotten why he was here. "Both me and Tamao came to apologize for the early interruption when you guys were meeting with grandpa."

"Oh that, don't worry about that. It was important, after all. I'm just sorry your weren't believed, Tamao" says Naruto.

"That's OK. I know lord Yohmei is right; I know the ruins have already been search and nothing was found. But my divining still says that the source is in the ruins. It just proves how far I still have to go in my training" said Tamao.

"Lord Yohmei told us about the Makian that was sealed there. But that makes me want to ask a question. Does that demon have to be the source? Maybe there is a connection to what's happening here and the ruins that doesn't include the demon" inquired Naruto as another balloon pops in his hand.

"Maybe?" wondered Tamao, curious if that possibility had even been considered by anyone yet.

"Wait, how did you make that water balloon pop, Naruto? I didn't see you squeeze it or anything" asked Yoh.

"Simple, I'm using chakra to agitate the water inside the balloon; spinning it around like crazy to create enough force to make the balloon pop?" explained Naruto.

"What's chakra?" asked Yoh, catching Naruto by surprise.

"You don't know what chakra is? Seriously?" asked Naruto.

"Naruto, we're not in Shumoa now. They probably have a different name than us" says Sakura as she looks at Naruto. She then looks at Yoh and Tamao and says "He's referring to the energy that exist inside our bodies. In Shumoa, we call it chakra."

"Oh, you mean Furyoku" says Yoh, popping a fist into an open palm to symbolize his understanding.

"Furyoku, huh?" says Naruto as he thinks about the name. "What kind of jutsu do you guys use?"

"Jutsu?" asked Tamao.

"I don't think they'd know what a jutsu is either, Naruto" points out Gamakichi.

"Yeah Naruto, they're not ninja's" adds Sakura.

"Oh yeah, right. So, how do you make use of this Furyoku stuff anyways?" asked Naruto.

"We're Shaman's, Naruto. We act as mediums between this world and the spirit world" says Tamao.

"I don't get it" admits Naruto, looking confused.

"I don't really follow, either" agrees Sakura, who hadn't heard about this yet.

"Well, I guess you can see that Shaman's can communicate with spirits. There are two types of Shaman's that can be trained here. First is the Shugendo Priest and Priestess, who can commune with the spirits that exist in nature. Tamao fits into this category. The other type are the Onmyoji. This is the type me and grandpa fall into. One of the powers we can use allows us to commune with the souls that reside in the spirit world" explained Yoh.

"Furthermore, both types can summon forth a spirit and perform a Spirit Unity" says Tamao before holding out her Ouija board. For me, I can summon a nature spirit and perform a spirit unity using my Ouija board. This is how I perform my divining. Lord Yoh, can merge a soul from the spirit realm with his body, gaining the skills and abilities that the soul had in life."

"For example, If I were to summon back a master chef, then I could cook up a meal fit for a king. A blacksmith, can repair and make weapons and armor. And so on and so forth. We also have other skills, but that's the basic idea on how we can use our Furyoku" finishes Yoh.

"Wow, that's pretty cool" says Naruto. "I wonder if I can learn some Shaman techniques?"

"First, finish mastering the ones you already have" says Gamakichi.

"Anyway, we just wanted to apologize for before as well as welcome you guys to Takeihama. But we need to get going. So we'll see you guys later" says Yoh before he and Tamao give a bow, then turn and leave.

"I better get going too. Lady Tsunade's gonna need me to help her with the search" said Sakura before she followed Yoh and Tamao towards the front.

"I never knew that the world outside Shumoa had different names for chakra or used methods other than ninjutsu. Did you, Gamakichi?" says Naruto, looking at Gamakichi.

"Well you learn something new everyday. I've heard that the people in Iroh call their chakra "Kei" and use a fighting style called Kendo...I think" explained Gamakichi.

Naruto looks into the sky and says "Yeah. One day, I think I'll travel the world. After what I just learned, I think I'd like to see other lands and learn about them. It might be fun too."

**(later, well past midnight)**

While the rest of the village was sound asleep, Tamao was wide awake. She sat alone in or room, on the floor, once again getting the same answer that she had before. That the source of this problem could be found within the northern ruins of Oyamada.

She sighs, the fatigue starting to get to her along with frustration. "Why? Lord Yohmei went himself and found nothing. Yet my divination keeps saying the northern ruins. Just what am I doing wrong here?"

She begun to wonder if she should just give up. Maybe she just didn't have what it takes to be a shaman. Maybe she wasn't good enough to have the feelings she did for Yoh, not worthy enough to love him or to hope and dream that she could one day be his wife.

As she was about to call it a night, she remembers what Naruto had said earlier. What if the demon sealed in the ruins wasn't the cause, but the cause was still connected to the ruins. Was it possible that lord Yohmei had been so focused on the thought that the Makian was responsible that he had failed to notice any other oddities? It didn't seem likely, but still...

She sighed again, there was no way she'd be able to sleep now. Not without doing something about this. But just what should she do? She could wake lord Yohmei up and ask him about this possibility, but she was worried that he might get mad at her again for her inability to simply let go. She could go wake Yoh, but the thought of being in his room at night with him was way to embarrassing. Then there's the foreigners? No, it wasn't right to ask more of them than they already have.

Resolved with her choice, she quietly made her way outside and made her way towards the northern exit of the village. Once she had passed onto the path that led up the mountain leading to the ruins, she didn't feel the need to move quietly anymore. So she broke into a run till she had made a little distance with Takeihama.

Once she was far enough away, confident that Yohmei wouldn't feel her using her powers, she stops and takes a deep breath before holding her Ouija board out before her with her right hand.

"O Konchi, soul of the wild fox, spirit that dwells in nature, heed my call and appear before me" chants Tamao four times as she channels her furyoku within her, making her body glow with a strong aura.

Particles of spirit energy began to gather around Tamao, forming and fusing together into the shape of a fox that was made of spirit light. Once he was fully formed, Konchi opens his eyes then grins mischievously as he looks at Tamao.

"Hello Tamao, you need me for something?" asked Konchi. He then notices that it's night out, which makes him eye her in a way that makes her nervous. "What's this? Don't tell me you're finally going to seduce Yoh now? Heh, I didn't think you had in in you. So, how can I help out?"

"No" cries Tamao, her faced red with embarrassment. "We're not even in the village right now?

"We aren't?" says Konchi, looking around "Funny, looks all the same to me. Anyways, why'd you call for me, anyways?"

"I've decided to check out the northern ruins myself. It's the only way I can let it go and fully believe lord Yohmei. I was hoping you'd lend me your power and help me in tracking anything that's out of place."

"Bet the old man won't be happy if he learns you did this without his consent" points out Konchi. "But, I'll help out anyways. After all, I've never been one for following the rules either. Let's do this."

Tamao nods before gathering furyoku into her Ouija board, then says "Spirit Konchi, bind your power to mine. Grant me the use of your talents. Spirit Unity."

Konchi reshapes into a ball of light at her command and merges with her Ouija board, causing into to turn into light and reshape itself. The power flowing through her was still difficult for Tamao to handle fully and she closes her right eye subconciously, showing the strain she was feeling.

But the unity was a success and the board now looked like a large glove that covered Tamao's right hand, the face of a fox forming the front of the glove and its front paws working to make the new form look like a cross bow.

"Are you ready, Konchi?" asked Tamao, now feeling more comfortable with the unity post activation.

"_Yeah, just don't forget that I can also launch arrows of concentrated furyoku at anything dangerous in addition to my tracking abilities while in this form" _reminds Konchi.

"Yeah, I remember" says Tamao before aiming her spirit crossbow towards the direction of the ruins. A small pointer, symbolizing the arrow of a compass appears on the crossbow. She turns it left and right, seeing the pointer move to maintain it's lock on the temple and the possible source of the sickness.

Nodding with confidence that she had a lock, Tamao breaks into another run. She didn't have much time to look as she wanted to be back before sunrise. But even if it meant risking a scolding from Yohmei and even the possibility of being exiled from Takeihama, she knew she wouldn't be coming till she was satisfied with whatever it was she was going to find up there.

**(mid morning – Takeihama)**

"So, you found a solution to the sickness then?" asked Yohmei, hopeful for a positive response.

"Not exactly, lord Yohmei. What we found, or I should say what Jiraiya found by accident, is a cure that will restore the health of those currently afflicted. But we still are no closer to learning what is causing the sickness to begin with " replies Tsunade.

"Though true, having found a cure to help those already sick is still better than nothing. Tell me what is needed and I will have the materials brought to you at once" says Yohmei.

"Well, that is where we have a problem. I've already learning that the key ingredients are already here in Takeihama. But there is one ingredient that is key to making it work. We need as many Hokuri Sage flowers as possible" said Tsunade.

Yohmei sighs, not liking that little bit of news. "I guess its a bigger problem than we thought?" asked Shizune.

"It is. The Hokuri Sage is a special flower that grows upon the mountain side, but only during the spring. As we currently are in the fall, finding it will be almost impossible."

"Almost impossible?" asked Tsunade.

"There may still be one spot we can find it; a spot that is known for these flowers to bloom all year round. But its at least a twelve hour walk from here and it will take us into an area of the mountain that lies in Iroh territory. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue. But given the current state of affairs between Iroh and Chin-Xi, we could face some trouble if we run into any Iroh sentry guard" explains Yohmei.

"It may be a risk, but it's still the only option we have at present" points out Tsunade.

"Plus, though the sickness has been rather mild in its effects up till now, who knows how long that will last or if more people we start to fall prey to it as well" adds Shizune.

"You both make valid points. Very well, I will lead the two of you to the spot in question and help with gathering any Hokuri Sage as well as dealing with the border sentries if we run into them."

Jiraiya, who had remained quiet up till then, finally speaks up and says "I'll come along too. The more hands to carry, the more we can bring back."

"Thank you" says Yohmei before getting up. "We better hurry then. The sun will have begun setting by the time we reach the location in question and we'll need as much light as possible to help us look. I just hope we'll find the flower."

As they exit the house, Jiraiya can't help but smile before saying "You guys do know how cliche this all is right?"

"What do you mean, Jiraiya?" asked Yohmei.

"The solution. A village of people suffering from a sickness of unknown origin. The cure is dependent on a rare item, a flower in this case, and the rare item will be hard to find. It just sounds like a cheesy plot to a badly written story if you ask me" says Jiraiya.

"Well, seeing as you are an author yourself, I guess you of all people would know something about cheap, half assed plot devices, huh?" says Tsunade, poking Jiraiya in the ribs while grinning, finding enjoyment at poking fun at Jiraiya's expense.

"I'm sure that you would find a way to make it interesting and less cliche, master Jiraiya" says Shizune, a slight blush present on her cheeks.

Before Jiraiya can respond, the loud bang is heard across the whole village with a stream of red chakra being seen rising up from where Jiraiya's group lodgings were. "What was that?" shouts Yohmei.

_'That chakra? Oh no, did Naruto...?' _wonders Jiraiya in fear as he breaks into a run with everyone following behind.

As they approach the dwelling, Sakura comes racing around from the back, sees them approaching, and says "Lady Tsunade, come quickly. It's Naruto."

A second later, they arrive in the backyard and find Naruto, his body unmoving and planted against the mountain side, at the center of a huge impact crater. They can see Kiba, Akamaru, and Gamakichi laying against the fence on the far side from Naruto. They appeared to be OK, they just had the wind knocked out of them.

As Tsunade and Shizune rush to Naruto to administer emergency healing and to get him down, Jiraiya looks at Sakura and ask "What happened here?"

"Naruto had finished with that water balloon training and was now working on making a rubber ball explode. The rest of us were watching him and he finally made it burst. He pulls out another one, hoping to make burst it quicker and Kiba was keeping track of his time with a stop watch. For just a moment, everything seemed to be fine. But then I saw this red/orange chakra form around his hands, and the ball exploded with so much force, it sent him slamming into the rock wall."

Jiraiya looks back at Naruto, who was now laying on the ground and was starting to show signs of life. _'A red/orange chakra? Did Naruto try to use Kyubi's chakra? No, he wouldn't use it for something like this. Especially here in Takeihama. Something else happened. And I think Naruto may know what it is.'_

Yohmei had noticed the change in Jiraiya's demeanor and was about to ask him to share his thoughts when Yoh comes rushing onto the scene. "Grandpa, what was that?"

Looking at his grandson, Yohmei says "There was a little accident with Naruto's personal training. But he appears to be OK."

"That's good to hear" says Yoh. "Grandpa, have you seen Tamao anywhere? We were going to do some training together today. But I can't find her anywhere. Not even in her room."

"Have you looked inside the concentration hall yet? She may be trying to use it to help her focus her power" asked Yohmei.

"No, not yet. I'll go look there right now" says Yoh as he turns to go.

"Yoh, one more thing" says Yohmei, making Yoh stop. "I'm leaving you in charge of the village for the next few hours, OK?"

"You going somewhere, grandpa?" asked Yoh.

"We found a cure for the sickness. But we need a very rare flower that's will require us to take a little trip. We probably won't be back till around midnight at best. I'm counting on you to keep things in order here till I get back; understood?"

"Yes sir" says Yoh before leaving.

"Are you three OK?" asked Jiraiya, looking at Kiba, Gamakichi, and Akamaru, getting nods in response. He then walks over to Naruto who was now sitting up. He notices that Tsunade is looking at his hands; signs of chakra burn still present upon them. She then looks at Jiraiya and he knows that she now knows that Naruto has a rather dark secret. Obviously, he was going to have to have a little talk with her later. "Naruto, you OK?"

"Ow, my hands hurt and my back feels even worse, but I'll live" replies Naruto.

"What happened?" asked Jiraiya.

"I...it...well" Naruto starts to say, but isn't sure what would be safe to say right now.

"We found a cure. You stay here and rest; we'll talk when I get back" says Jiraiya. He then looks at Tsunade and lets her know with his eyes that he meant with the both of them.

Tsunade nods, then says "Sakura, keep an eye on things here while I'm gone. We should be back by midnight at the earliest."

"Understood, lady Tsunade" replies Sakura as she goes to bandage Naruto hands.

"Follow me" says Yohmei before breaking into a run that seemed more than his aged frame should have capable of.

About an hour later, Yoh was really starting to become worried now. He had looked everywhere he could think of three times and still couldn't find Tamao. Was it possible that she might have gone to those natural occurring hot springs that were a ways up on the mountain path? He knew the girls of the village liked to use them due to the effect it had on their complexion; that it would make their skin shine and feel young and supple, according to what his mother had told him when he had asked about it once. But Tamao wouldn't be using them now, would she?

Though he doubted it, it was still worth checking out. Yoh runs towards the north gate and just as he reaches it, he spies a figure walking down the mountain path, swaying a little as if trying to stay standing. It takes a second, but he's able to see that it is Tamao.

Sighing in relief, he rushes up to meet her. But as he gets closer, he can see that her clothes are dusty and a little torn, as if she was in a fierce battle. And her skin was pale, almost a light greenish color, and her eyes were sunk in with dark rings around them, with a blood shot look upon her eyes as well.

"Tamao" shouts Yoh as he rushes towards her.

Hearing his voice, Tamao looks at him and smiles before her legs give way and she collapses. Yoh just barely catches her before she can hit the ground. He then shakes her, calling her name as fear fills his very being. But she does not respond as she had already passed out.

"SAKURA" shouts Yoh as he takes her into his arms and races back towards the village.

Soon, everyone is gathered outside Tamao's room, while the village doctor, who is helping Sakura examine Tamao, are inside. Yoh is pacing around nervously and Naruto and Kiba are wondering if they should say anything or remain quiet.

The door opens and Sakura emerges, a not very comforting look present on her face. Seeing Yoh's intense gaze fall onto her, she shakes her head and says "I'm sorry, Yoh. But there's nothing I can do for her."

"What do you mean? No, don't tell me she's...?" says Yoh in disbelief.

"She's still alive, for now at least" says the village doctor as she joins them. "But she's caught the sickness as well. And unfortunately, her case is far more severe than anyone else's. Furthermore, we found a puncture wound on her left shoulder; indicating that something stung her. I believe that she was infected by the source of the sickness directly."

"So, does that mean that the source is on the mountain?" asked Kiba.

"Lord...Yoh" comes Tamao's voice from her room, just barely audible for anyone to here.

They all enter the room, seeing Tamao laying in her bed with only a blanket covering her already naked body. Seeing Yoh makes her start to sit up, making Sakura immediately cover Naruto and Kiba's eyes with her hands. Akamaru and Gamakichi also cover theirs in respect for Tamao's modesty.

"Tamao, you need to lay back down and rest" instructs Yoh as he helps her lay back down, then covers her partially exposed chest. Had it been any other instance, seeing her kind of naked would have made him blush. But this situation was to serious to make him realize that he had.

"I'm sorry, lord Yoh. I went to the ruins to see for myself" says Tamao in a weak, raspy voice. She stops talking as a jolt of pain shoots through her, making her cry out.

"Shh, just rest OK" says Yoh, wishing there was something he could do to help her.

Tamao could feel herself starting to fade out again, but she pushes that away long enough to say "Yoh, it is...the Makian. In the...thern ruins. It...erful. Its..."

Tamao passes out again and Yoh clenches his fist. "If Tamao says it's there, then that's good enough for me."

"Yoh, don't tell me you're..." the doctor starts to say, but Yoh holds a hand out.

"I know grandpa asked me to take charge here and he'll be furious when he learns of what I'm about to do. But I don't care. The Makian from the legend is responsible for this. And I'm going to kill it."

"And I'll come too" says Naruto.

"Count me in, too" says Gamakichi.

"You're not leaving me out on this one" says Kiba, Akamaru barking in agreement.

"I'll come too" says Sakura. "We may need to capture and examine this thing in order to find a cure for Tamao and only I have the skills to do that amongst everyone who here."

"You go ahead then" says the doctor. "I'll stay here and keep Tamao as comfortable as I can" she adds in a reassuring tone.

"Guys, wait for me outside. I gotta grab something" says Yoh before exiting the room.

He makes his way through his family home till he's standing before two large doors. Though he had been told to not touch anything within unless he was told he could, now was not the time to follow family rules. He opens the doors and enters the families treasure vault. He moves towards the back till he's standing before a pedestal. He reaches out and retrieves an object that was wrapped in silvery colored silk. He unwraps the object, revealing a long and strong looking sword.

Yoh unsheathes the sword and holds it out before his body. "Harusame, the sacred sword wielded by my ancestor, Amidamaru." He then presses the blade to his head and closes his eyes in prayer as he says "Please aid me as you aided my ancestor all those centuries ago."

A few moments later, Yoh emerges and joins with the other; Harusame now strapped to his side. Sakura had just finished sliding on her battle gloves. Kiba checked to make sure his special Inuzuka battle pills where within reach if needed. And both Naruto and Gamakichi had a serious look on their faces, showing that he was ready as well.

"Let's go hunting" says Yoh as they head out to kill the demon.

**Next time: The power of the shaman's party, the five tarot prediction**


	45. 45 Waste Away 3

**Naruto Overdrive**

The search for the Hokuri Sage had hit a snag, as was expected. Yohmei had managed to lead Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya safely to the specific area of the mountain where the flower was known to bloom all year around on rare occasions and they found nothing waiting for them.

They were now searching all over the place but they're hopes were starting to give way to an unavoidable truth; this trip had been a waste of time. Yohmei sighed, wondering if the only real solution to saving Takeihama was to relocate the whole village from off the mountain.

"Yohmei, is there any other place the Hokuri Sage is known to grow at?" asked Jiraiya.

"Well..." Yohmei starts to say as he gives this some thought, when something in the air catches his eye. Looking up, he notices a bird made of paper come flapping down towards him.

"What's that?" asked Shizune as Yohmei takes hold of the paper bird.

"A message" said Yohmei as he unravels the bird. "One of the techniques we Shaman have is giving life to inanimate objects for brief periods of time. And judging from the hand writing and style, I'd say its from Yoh."

As Yohmei reads the message, his features grow darker, a hint of worry and realization in his eyes. "Damn, we need to head back. NOW" says Yohmei before breaking into a run back towards the village.

"What's happened?" asked Tsunade as she , Shizune, and Jiraiya fall in step with him.

"I was a fool. The temple I checked when the outbreak started wasn't the temple the demon was sealed in. Tamao's the one who figured it out, and she payed for that by being infected directly by the source. She's very sick and Yoh decided to head off to find the demon and kill it himself, taking those three kids of yours with him."

Hearing that now made the three Shumoan's worried too. The trip back would take a while; they just hoped they could catch up with those idiots before they got themselves killed.

**chpt.45: Waster Away 3**

**(several hours earlier)**

"We're here" said Yoh as they arrived at the entrance to the Oyamada Temple ruins.

Kiba stopped and cocks his head to the side, asking "You sure? This place doesn't look all ruiny to me."

Yoh either didn't hear him or care to respond as he was already passing inside the entry arch for the temple. "They probably keep it in good repair for its historical importance" notes Sakura before following Yoh inside.

"Kiba, can you or Akamaru smell anything fowl in the air? Something that could be the source of the sickness?" asked Naruto.

"Hold on, we'll check" replies Kiba as he and Akamaru sniff the air. "Sorry, nothing but clean mountain air from what my nose can pick up."

"Then lets hurry up and join Sakura and Yoh" says Naruto as he enters the temple with Kiba following.

After passing through a modesty length entry hallway, the emerge into the massive ceremonial hall. "OK guys, lets start looking around" instructs Yoh before walking to the center of the room, leaning down, and examining the large seal inscribed onto the floor.

"I guess grandpa was right" said Yoh as he traces a hand across the seal, seeing no sign of wear or damaging on it.

"Is that the seal?" asked Naruto as he walks up beside Yoh.

"Yeah" says Yoh as he tries to think of what else could have attacked Tamao.

Naruto leans down and touches the seal. Gamakichi hops down off Naruto's head and examines the seal himself. "Naruto, can you feel what I feel?"

"Well, the stone floor is cold" replies Naruto, but then he realizes what Gamakichi is implying. "That's it. Just cold, no sign of any chakra at all."

"What are you saying, Naruto?" asked Sakura as she walks up and leans down beside Naruto.

"If this was a real seal, then there would be some sort of chakra resonance within it. Even if the seal had been broken, there would still be some residual chakra still present" says Gamakichi. Sakura realizes that he was right, there was no chakra present in this seal at all.

"Wait, are you saying that this isn't the seal?" asked Yoh.

"That appears to be the truth of it" replied Naruto.

The sound of Akamaru barking draws their attentions to Kiba. "Guys, check it out" says Kiba, who walked over to a thick covering of vines. He reaches out and pushes the vines aside, revealing a hidden passage behind it.

"A passage; not a wall?" says Yoh before he remembers something important. "Oh no. Don't tell me..." says Yoh before breaking off into a run through the revealed passageway.

The others follow him through the passage and soon find themselves emerging on the far side of the temple. "Oh man, we really screwed up, big time" says Yoh to himself aloud.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" asked Naruto.

"This isn't the temple. At least not THE temple. There are two temples on this mountain. This one was for the use of traveling pilgrims while the other that's further up was for the specific use of the monks of the Oyamada temple sect. This temple was designed to be an exact copy of the true temple, where the beast was really sealed" explained Yoh.

"Yoh, look" said Sakura as she approached him, holding Tamao's damaged Ouija board in hand. "It was laying on the ground next to the exit" she says as she hands it to him.

"Tamao...so you figured it out too" says Yoh as he holds the board close before sliding it into his pack.

"So what now?" asked Kiba.

"We keep going, of course. But first, I need to send a message" said Yoh before pulling out a piece of paper and hastily writes a message on it. He then uses his onmyoji skills the gives life to the paper, making it take on a bird like form, then sends it off.

"What was that?" asked Gamakichi.

"A message for grandpa and your elders" said Yoh. "Now lets hurry. Tamao and the others can't wait."

**(half an hour of fast running later)**

As they passed around a large slab or granite, the group came to a stop as they found their eyes falling upon the true Oyamada Temple. Unlike the other one that was further down, this one indeed had the look of temple that had fallen into disrepair; a true ruin.

"Kiba, can you smell anything fowl in the air?" asked Yoh.

Kiba took in a few whiffs, then immediately covered his nose as he made a gagging sound. Akamaru sniffed too, then buried his nose beneath his paws while whimpering. "I'll take that as a yes" said Sakura.

"You don't know the half of it. Be glad you can't smell what we just did. Man, rancid can't even describe it."

"Then we better hurry and find this thing before it finds us" says Naruto as he starts to move forward, as does Kiba and Sakura.

"Hold on a second guys" says Yoh as he brings Harusame out before himself.

"Something wrong?" asked Gamakichi.

"Before we go in, I think I better call in some help" says Yoh.

"What kind of help?" asked Kiba.

"My ancestor, Amidamaru. He's the one who fought this thing last. So if anyone will know what to expect, it will be him."

"Good idea. But why didn't you do this earlier; when we were still in the village or at least at the pilgrim temple?" asked Sakura.

"Because at my current level of skill, I won't be able to maintain a spirit unity with a soul from the afterlife for very long. Unlike nature spirits, departed souls are much harder to keep within ones self. And also, because I've never actually had a successful unity before. Nor have I had a successful soul summoning either" admits Yoh, chuckling nervously as everyone face plants at this turn of events.

"Oh great. Just when did you plan on telling us this anyways?" shouts Naruto.

"Um, just now I guess" replies Yoh in jest.

"Don't be a smart ass" shouts the others in unison.

"Don't worry, I won't fail. Not this time. Not with so much riding on this and our victory. Besides, this is one of the reason I brought Harusame. Seeing as it's Amidamaru's sword, I can use that to help create a connection between me and him, summoning him here to me" says Yoh.

He then begins to channel the energy through both his body and sword and a powerful wind seems to begin blowing around him. "Lord Amidamaru, honorable warrior and my ancestor. Please hear my call from the mortal land and depart from your afterlife so that we may commune."

As Yoh chants this again and again, the light around him grows stronger and stronger. And then, the wind blast outwards, nearly knocking the others off their feet, as Yoh shouts out "As shaman of Takeihama and heir of the Asakura blood, I command you to to appear before me, Amidamaru Asakura; I summon your spirit to me, NOW."

The light surrounding Yoh explodes outwards, blinding everyone for a moment. And when the light had faded and they could all see again, they beheld the form of Amidamaru standing before them, though his body was transparent due to him being a ghost, a thin blue arua wrapped around him.

Amidamaru opens his eyes, then looks around before "OK, very funny guys. Where did you take me this time? Man, I swear. I close my eyes for five seconds and...huh, who are you kid?"

"My names Yoh, sir. And I guess you could say I summoned you here."

"Say what? What do you mean, summoned? And just where is here anyways? Sure doesn't look like any part of Iroh I've ever seen" says Amidamaru.

Yoh looks back, then says "Some spirits tend to forget that they're dead when first summoned, instead are thinking of something that happened back in life."

Hearing Yoh, Amidamaru holds his hand out and points his finger while saying "What was that? And what did you mean by spirit and dead? Out with it..." And then Amidamaru realizes that his hand and arm were see through. "Wha...wha...what the hell...is going on here?" he shouts.

"Please Amidamaru, just calm down and relax. I'll explain everything and you should remember everything as I do so" says Yoh.

Once Yoh had finished his explanation, Amidamaru turns and looks towards the Oyamada temple and scowls as he says "So, the Pasarasite has escaped from the seal. I was afraid that would happen."

"Pasararsite?" asked Yoh.

"That's right. The Pasararsite is a parasitic type of Yoma that was summoned by a monk that served here at the temple. He was angry that he wasn't chosen to become high monk despite the fact everyone knew he wasn't worthy. So he summoned forth this beast and allowed it to bind itself to his body. He then began to spread a sickness across the area and if I hadn't answered the call, Takeihama would have been lost because of his selfishness" explained Amidamaru.

"But how could the beast still be alive now? Has the portal remained open all this time?" asked Sakura.

"A Pasararsite doesn't need an active portal to remain so long as it has a host body to latch on to. When I defeated the Pasararsite, it left its host and tried to possess me; but I was saved by an old woman named Mada, who sealed it inside the temple. She told me that in time and with a powerful force attack could the beast be ended, so I spent the remainder of my life working on creating a move strong enough to do the job. Sadly, I died shortly after I perfected it, before I could pass it on to another."

"So do you think it was released intentionally?" asked Kiba.

"It's possible" says Amidamaru, considering it.

"I wonder if that explorer that came to our village might have broken the seal be accident" says Yoh to himself. Seeing everyone looking at him, he says "Before the sickness began, a man came who was studying old ruins and got permission from grandpa to explore so long as he was careful. We never saw him again. If this Pasararsite needs a host, then it's likely the explorer its using."

"I think we better hurry then. If its time being sealed away weakened it, then its time being free has likely helped to restore its strength. Plus, Tamao can't afford us to wait" says Naruto.

"By the way, you said the Pasararsite is a Yoma. Is that some ancient name for Makian's that was used in your time?" asked Kiba.

"Well, a Yoma is the name for the beast that call the Makai Realm home. I'm guessing calling them Makian's would be accurate as well" says Amidamaru. "We need to get moving if they're lives at stake."

"Your right" says Yoh. He then looks at Amidamaru and ask "Will you lend my your strength in this battle, ancestor?"

Amidamaru nods, saying "It was always a regret of mine that I never slayed this beast. Thanks to you summoning me back from the beyond, I've been given a second chance to finish this fight. I'm ready."

Yoh nods before closing his eyes, a strong build up of furyoku appearing around him. "Amidamaru, soul from the here after, bind yourself to me. Grant me your power, your wisdom, your skill and aid me in this struggle." As he says this Amidamaru's form shifts as he turns into a ball of energy that is shaped somewhat like his head. "SPIRIT UNITY" shouts Yoh, causing Amidamaru's soul form to shoot into his body. After a second, Yoh's eyes open and everyone sees his eyes glowing with spirit light.

"Did it work?" asked Gamakichi?

Yoh looks back and smiles, saying "Oh yeah, it worked alright" with both Yoh and Amidamaru's voices merged. He then looks to the temple and says "Follow me and stay sharp. This thing can be sneaky as well as tricky."

As they move forward with swiftness, Amidamaru says through his thoughts _'Remember Yoh, we can only maintain this link for about fifteen minutes, if my understanding of this from what I can pick up in your mind is correct.'_

_'I know. And don't worry. We will win...we have to' _replies Yoh.

As soon as they arrive at the temple entrance, they stop long enough to let Yoh sense out the targets presence, Feeling it lingering withing the main hall, he tells the others to be ready before they all break into a run through the entry hall. After a few seconds, they enter the main hall, stopping in the center of the room. The huge crack upon the seal didn't escape their notice, nor the chunk of ceiling that had cracked it from impact.

"Nothing" says Sakura, seeing no sign of life or any sign of this Yoma."

"No, it's here alright in hiding. But I can feel it" says Yoh.

"The stench alone is enough to tell us that" says Kiba, trying to figure out where the source of it was.

Gamakichi feels something odd with Naruto's chakra and says quietly "What is it?"

Naruto responds with equal quietness so as not to let the others hear him. "Its Kyubi's chakra. It's reacting to something. I feel it trying to force its way out, just like..."

Before Naruto can finish, his whole body jolts as he feels something stab into his left shoulder. Turning his head, he sees a long, scorpion like tail of the Pasararsite. He looks up as he feels the venom of the beast being sent into him and sees the creature in all it's sub-humanoid self.

"Naruto" shouts Gamakichi as the stinger frees itself from his body and he finds himself falling to his knees.

The others turn just in time as the Pasararsite drops down, clicking it's pincer like left hand and cocking its insect like face while giving out a horrendous shriek. And then, it lunges right at Sakura with its pincer, aiming to take her head off.

The thing was fast, to fast for Sakura to be able to dodge it fully in time. But luckily, Kiba managed to push her clear thanks to his family training. The creature lands where Sakura had been standing, turning to looking at her as it prepares for another attempt, when Yoh jumps in with sword swinging.

The blade impacts against claw and the Pasararsite pushes Yoh off him. Despite this, Yoh pushes back in order to keep up his momentum. "Sakura, go check on Naruto" shouts Kiba before pulling out a brown pill and pops it into Akamaru's mouth, making his fur turn a rusty red color.

"Inuzuka art; Man Beast Clone" says Kiba as Akamaru turns into a wild, more beast like version of himself while Kiba also takes on the same look. Seeing Yoh having trouble fighting in defending himself, Kiba and Akamaru look at each other and nod.

"Fang Over Fang" shouts Kiba before he and Akamaru launch into the air, spinning rapidly.

Yoh sees them coming from the corner of his eye, then pushes hard against the Pasararsite before jumping back away. Before the parasite can follow after him, the twin spinning fang attack slams into it, causing the the floor to crack and shake from the impact.

As Sakura gets to Naruto, she can already see him starting to develop the same physical symptoms that Tamao had shown after she had been infected. "Hold on, Naruto. I'll do what I can" says Sakura, knowing she wouldn't be able to help him.

"Don't worry about me" says Naruto, his voice shaky. "Help them" he says as he looks at her.

Sakura looks over and sees the Pasararsite had survived Kiba and Akamaru's assault, though the human half of its body had been badly shredded and a more demonic form was beginning to emerge. Yoh was trying to go go for the creatures tail while Kiba and Akamaru where double teaming from the front.

Though she was confident in her strength, Sakura wasn't sure her fist alone would help here. But then she notices that the room had several large granite statues. And each statue was sporting a weapon. That gave her an idea.

After a near hit from the Pasararsite's tail, Yoh sees an opening and swings round hard, slicing it off just below the stinger. The creature howls, giving Akamaru a chance to come in and bite down on the wrist of the claw arm. Kiba moves in to take its head off to finish the battle.

The Pasararsite screeches as a pulse of chakra blast out from its body, knocking Kiba and Yoh away. It then swings its claw arm outwards, forcing Akamaru off. The creature growls as it prepares to go for Akamaru, who's impact with the wall forces him back to his normal form.

"No you don't, CHA" shouts Sakura as she swings the large granite hammer, that she had ripped from the hands of one of the statues, down hard and smashing the Pasararsite into the ground, causing the granite hammer to shatter from the force of the blow.

"That had to hurt. So, did you get him?" asked Kiba.

They get the answer as they see the beast struggling to move. Obviously, the parts of it that were still human had likely been damaged beyond repair. But that was just resulting in it becoming more and more demon like. Furthermore, the tail was already growing out a new stinger.

"Damn it. There has to be something we can do to kill it" says Yoh, annoyed with its persistence.

"Then lets bring this whole place down" says Naruto.

Everyone looks to see Naruto is standing. And to their surprise, he no longer looked like he was sick. Had they're attacks had an effect on it? "Bring this place down? But how? And why?" asked Kiba.

"It's been weakened by our attacks. If this whole place goes, then it might be enough" says Yoh. "But still, how do we bring it down?"

"I think I know" said Sakura, looking at the stone pillars lining the walls. She could noticed that each pillar has noticeable large key stones near the top. She points to a key stone and says "If we take out those key stones, the roof will collapse inward and this could cause the rest of the structure to cave in as well."

"Then you guys do that. I'll distract him" says Yoh before launching himself at the Pasararsite as it starts to return to its feet.

With that, Yoh, with the skills and abilities that Amidamaru was giving him, launched into a frenzied assault against the Pasararsite, aiming all his attacks at its legs with the hope of disabling it so it wouldn't escape. Meanwhile, the others began to take out the pillar keystones and with each destroyed, a low groaning like sound could be heard as the walls started to strain under the pressure.

"Last one" shouts Sakura as she smashes the last stone with her fist.

Once that was done, the whole place begins to shake as the roof begins to cave in. A piece of the ceiling falls and hits the Pasararsite atop its head, distracting it enough for Yoh to slice both legs off with a powerful swing of his sword. "Everyone, get out now" he shouts before rushing towards the entry hall. Kiba scoops up Akamaru and follows him while Naruto and Sakura bring up the rear. They make it out just barely then, after getting clear, turn back and watch the old temple crumble down upon itself.

"_Did that get it?" _mentally asked Yoh.

"_The Pasararsite might have been a Yoma, but it was still binding itself to a human body. And with all that weight crushing down upon it, its either dead or will be soon enough" _replies Amidamaru.

"Naruto, are you OK? I could have sworn that thing stung you" asked a worried Sakura as she finally had a chance to examine him.

"Yeah, me too. But I guess it wasn't able to inject its venom into me" replies Naruto.

Gamakichi shrugs, saying "Either that or our attacks did something to negate the sickness some how."

"Either way, Tamao must be feeling better now" points out Kiba.

"Let's go find out" says Yoh as he turns to leave.

But their return is stopped as they hear a low groaning sound followed by a tremor. Turning back, the sees the collapsed temple starting to shake. And then, it explodes outwards with a combination of stone and energy; blasting everyone back.

"_Yoh, are you OK?" _shouts Amidamaru.

Yoh opens his eyes, finding himself laying face down upon the ground. As he picks himself up, he winces in pain, the cause being a broken rib, and looks towards the temple and finds his gaze turning to a frozen terror as he sees the Pasararsite. Some how, it had not only survived, but had grown into a massive size; not a trace of its human host left upon it. It now had four spider like legs, a large blade like growth on its right arm, and its back was lined with spikes like a porcupine.

The creature roars before beginning to move forward. But it wasn't heading towards Yoh, but towards Takeihama. _'No, I won't let it'_ thinks Yoh as he pushes back the pain to get to his feet. But in his condition and the fact he couldn't see the others; just what hope did he have of beating it now. But then, the beast comes to a stop as the dark light within its eyes fades away.

"What happened?" asked Yoh aloud.

"_It must need a few moments to get use that that new body. So it's gone inactive till its adapted" replied Amidamaru._

"Then we need to hurry and kill it before it gets moving for Takeihama again" says Yoh.

"Alright, that's far enough ugly" comes Naruto's voice as he appears a little further down, looking towards the Pasararsite. "Now I'm gonna take a crack at you."

"Naruto..." says Yoh, before seeing an unconscious Kiba's body propped over Sakura and Akamaru, protecting them.

Gamakichi jumps back atop Naruto's head, then whistles as he sees the Pasararsite's new form. "Boy, did he sure get big. So what's that plan here?"

Naruto grins, replying "I'll just make as many Shadow Clones as I can and overwhelm this big, ugly freak."

"That could...probably won't work. But I do have an idea. Seeing as that guy got all big on us, how about you summon something just as big to fight it."

"You sure I'm ready?" asked Naruto.

"Can you afford to not be now?" replied Gamakichi.

"Yeah, you're right." Naruto then makes the hand signs for summoning, making sure to focus as much chakra as he could into his hand. "Summoning jutsu" shouts Naruto.

Naruto and Gamakichi are engulfed in smoke and from the smoke, a toad of massive size appears. With skin that was a faded orange color, a scar along one eye, a large sword at its side, and a pipe in mouth; the giant did give off an imposing sight. The toad opens his eyes, then looks around saying "Funny, this doesn't look like my bed."

"Wow, amazing" says Yoh as he looks up at the new arrival.

Naruto leaps atop the toads head, obviously getting its attention. "Hey runt, just what do you think you're doing. Don't you know that its rude to just stand on someones head without permission."

"Sorry big guy, but I need your help" apologizes Naruto who then points at the Pasararsite and says "You see that big ugly thing? Could you help me kill it?"

"Huh?" says the toad as it takes a good look at the dormant creature. "I don't think so, kid. It looks a little to nasty for me."

"Say what?" shouts Naruto, no longer happy that he had summoned perfectly.

"Come on pops, help us out here" says Gamakichi, getting both Naruto and the larger toads attention.

"Hm, Gamakichi? So this is where you've been lately. You were starting to worry me, son."

"Wait, you mean this guys your father?" says Naruto, shocked that Gamakichi could eventually grow to this size.

"Sorry about that, pops. I was having to much fun out here seeing as it was my first trip away from home" replies Gamakichi. "But we could use your help none the less. That Makian over there has been causing a lot of people to become sick. One girl in particular has become deathly sick because of it. And if we don't stop it, it will attack the village and kill many people."

"I see" replies Gamabunta as he takes a puff on his pipe. "Well, it's never been my style to leave people in their time of need. So I'll help out." As Gamabunta grips his sword, he ask "And you are kid?"

"Names Naruto" was the reply.

_'So, this is the boy Fukasaku was talking about. I should have known from what I can feel from him.'_

"Very well Naruto. You may call me Gamabunta, chief to the Toad Tribe. Now hold on tight; this is gonna be rough." Gamabunta then begins to free his sword from its sheath, then leaping at the Pasararsite.

As Gamabunta brings his sword swinging down at the beast, it's empty eye sockets light up with a red light, followed by a roar as the beast reawakens and brings its massive blade arm up to parry Bunta's attack. Bunta is knocked back, then is forced to weave around as the Pasararsite tries to sting it with its tail. Leaping away, Gamabunta makes a hand sign, then shouts "Liquid Bullet", firing a ball of highly pressurized water that slams into the creature chest, forcing it to take a few steps back to steady itself.

"This one's gonna be a lot tougher than I thought" says Bunta to Naruto as it clacks the pincer of its claw arm together while swinging its tail about.

"Chief, if I can pin its arms and tail down, can you take it out?" asked Naruto.

"Of course. But how do you plan on doing that, kid?" asked Gamabunta.

"With this" says Naruto as he makes a hand sign. "Shadow Clone..." He starts to say, but stops as he collapses to his knee's.

"Naruto?" shouts Gamakichi.

Naruto wasn't sure what was happening, but this wasn't the first time this had happened. The feeling of his chakra being crushed down, suppressed by some unknown force. Furthermore, the feeling of the Kyubi's chakra trying to assert itself in place his his natural chakra was also familiar. But something new was happening now. A feeling that to him felt like...

"Kid?" shouts Bunta, looking up at Naruto, only realizing after the fact that that had been a mistake.

The Pasararsite had noticed Gamabunta's distraction and took the opportunity to send its tail thrusting outwards, the stinger aimed at Bunta's heart. And worse was the fact Bunta knew he could not avoid it.

"Not so fast" shouts Yoh as he slashes Harusame upwards, cutting hard and deep into the tail and causing the Pasararsite to jerk its tail to the side in response, missing Bunta by inches.

"And have a little of this" shouts Sakura as she chucks a bolder half the size of the Pasararsite right at it, causing it to stumble back from the blow.

"Thanks for the save" shouts Gamabunta, using the time they gave him to fire off three back to back liquid bullets, the impact of which, combined with Sakura's attack, sent the creature toppling backwards into the temple remains.

"Naruto, you OK?" asked Sakura as she and Yoh come to stand next to him on Gamabunta's head.

"Yeah...don't know what happened back there?" lied Naruto. "Anyways, where's Kiba and Akamaru?"

"Their fine. Akamaru woke up and is watching Kiba from a safe spot after he was knocked out saving me from big and ugly's growth spurt" said Sakura.

"OK guys, we need to finish this fight now" says Yoh as she sees the Pasararsite getting back to its feet.

"But how can we take this Pasararsite down now?" asked Naruto.

"Did you say a Pasararsite?" asked Gamabunta.

"Yeah, why?" replied Naruto.

"Because a Pasararsite is nothing more than a simple parasitic life form of the Makai Realm; only about a foot in height. It can exist in our world independent of a portal by take a human host body as its own and feeding off the host chakra network" explains Gamabunta.

"All that we already knew, except for the whole height thing" said Sakura.

"But its current physical appearance doesn't change the fact that its still just a foot tall little bug; wearing really, REALLY, big body armor to protect itself. Naturally, it will need to feed on humans to maintain its power to exist while like this, so it will be heading to the nearest source to feed."

"Thus we need to stop it or everyone it Takeihama is dead" states Gamakichi.

"Then that's why we need to kill it now" said Yoh, gripping his sword. "OK, here's the plan. First thing we need is a distraction, something to take its attention away from Gamabunta."

"I'll do it" said Sakura, punching a fist into an open palm.

"Good. Once the Pasararsite is distracted, I'll need you to cut it with all the power you can, giant toad guy. Preferably with enough force to expose the true Pasararsite that hides inside."

"Understood" replies Gamabunta.

"Next, I'll..." Yoh starts to say, but Naruto interrupts by saying "If it's like other Yoma/Makian's that I've encountered in the past, the damage will heal quickly. So I'll force the true Pasararsite out and away from it's protective shell."

"Are you sure?" asked Yoh.

"Believe in me" replies Naruto with the most serious tone he can.

"OK then. I guess that'll leave it up to me to administer the killing blow." Yoh then holds a hand out that Naruto, Sakura, and Gamakichi each place theirs above his. "For Takeihama, for Tamao, and for us; VICTORY."

Gamakichi remains with Gamabunta while the others jump off and take up their positions. By now, the Pasararsite had succeeded in getting back to its feet and was moving towards Bunta. Sakura, running fast and gathering chakra into her fist. Once she was directly under it, she smashes her fist with all her might into the ground, the force of the impact shatters the ground, causing the beast to stumble and fall forward.

As it struggles to find its footing, Bunta leaps in and swings his blade with all the power and force he can muster, catching the beast off guard and ripping his chest open and revealing the true Pasararsite inside. "Go kid" shouts Bunta.

Naruto was standing atop a rock with his right hand extended outwards as he jumps towards the opening within the Pasararsite's armor. He wasn't a fool, he knew that he was going to try using this jutsu without even trying the control training even once. But with to much on the line to fail as well as his success with something Gamabunta, he knew he was ready.

As he fast approaches the target, he can feel the chakra swelling in his hand; a dim light of chakra beginning to form there before growing in both size and power. He could feel it happening again, the unknown trying to suppress his chakra to force him to use Kyubi's, but he resisted with all his might and pushed it back down. Glancing over, he could see the fully formed ball but knew he wouldn't be able to maintain for more than a few seconds. Passing through the cut, he pushes his hand forward and a simple word comes into his mind. Though he doesn't know where it came from, he knew it felt right to say just as the sphere of chakra connects with the true Pasararsite.

"RASENGAN!"

For a second, nothing happens. Then the sphere begins to dig into the body of the Pasararsite, making it screech in pain as the ball expands. And then, both Pasararsite and Rasengan go exploding back with such force, that both go blasting out from the back of the Pasararsite's armor. The creature can bee seen spinning wildly as it sails back, slamming into the mountain with a deafening crushing sound.

Yoh was already in motion as the Pasararsite impacts against the mountainside. As he brings his sword swinging down, both Yoh and Amidamaru take notice of something important. But that doesn't stop them from finishing up with the attack.

"Sacred Blade technique No.1; Shockwave Buddha-Giri" shouts Yoh, a wave of furyoku infusing the blade before lasing outwards as Yoh slices the Pasararsite in half and adding to the already impressive impact crater created from the Rasengan impact.

As the Pasararsite's remains crumble and fade away into dust, Yoh looks back and sees the empty shell of the Pasararsite's armor beginning to crack and fall away, turning into dust as well. _"Did you see it too, Yoh?" _asked Amidamaru.

"Yeah" was Yoh's reply. The truth was that their attack had been pointless. The Pasararsite was already dead, the impact against the mountain had killed it. Or, was it being hit by the Rasengan that had killed it outright? That was an answer that would never be fully known.

"Yoh, you did it" shouts Sakura as she comes running up beside him with Naruto not far behind.

"No, we did it" says Yoh before his body lights up and Amidamaru's spirit splits from his body.

"Well, I guess its time to go" said Amidamaru as he looks at the kids. "But before I do, I want to say thank you. Failing to kill the Pasararsite was always a regret of mine. But now, I can finally put that behind me and move on with my...heh, life, sorta."

"Glad we could help, dead guy" jokes Naruto.

Amidamaru chuckles, then looks at Yoh and says "I'm proud of you. I know you'll be a great leader to our clan as well as a great shaman. And don't let that little detail worry you; I'm sure it will work out." As Amidamaru's body begins to fade away, he says "And if you ever need me again, don't hesitate to call me. Until we meet again, son." And with that, Amidamaru was gone.

"Until we meet again, my father" replied Yoh.

"Yoh, what did he mean by a little detail?" asked Naruto.

"Sorry, that's a secret" said Yoh.

"Well, we better be getting home too" said Gamabunta, getting their attention. "And like the samurai said, don't hesitate to call us if you ever need help, Naruto. The toads of Mt. Myoboku will answer the call."

"See you around, Naruto" shouts Gamakichi before he and Bunta leave in a puff of smoke.

"Thanks guys" said Naruto.

For a few moments, the three of them stand their, basking in the moment. Then Yoh says "Come on, we better get back. Tamao and the others should be feeling better now." Naruto and Sakura nod as the start to run back down the mountain, but Sakura stops and says "Wait, we forgot about Kiba."

"OK you ugly crustacean, I'm gonna...hey, where did it go? Guys, you playing hide and seek or something?" shouts out Kiba he bolts up from his little nap. Naruto, Sakura, and Yoh just sigh, then smile before walking over to him.

By the time Takeihama came within view, the sun had already set and they were being bathed in moonlight. As they approach the gate, three figures appear running from it on an intercept course. Within moments, the kids are standing before their elders, who weren't looking happy.

"Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, are you alright?" asked Jiraiya.

"Yoh, what the hell were you thinking? Running off like that?" shouts Yohmei.

"Sakura, I thought I trained you to not be so reckless" says an exasperated Tsunade.

Following a quick explanation, Yohmei sighs before saying "You were still reckless, but I can't blame you. The fault, after all, was mine. I should have remembered about the second temple. And I should have put more faith in Tamao. And for that, I am sorry. And also; good work, all of you." He smiles.

"Lady Tsunade, is everyone OK?" asked Sakura.

"It would appear so, though Shizune's checking on Tamao now. She'll probably need a little more recovery time, but I'm sure she'll be up and about by morning. All in all, a nice happy ending for the people of this village" said Tsunade.

"Pervy Sage, I did it. I performed a perfect summoning jutsu as well mastered Rasengan" said Naruto with a little pride in his voice. Meanwhile, Kiba's wondering what he missed during his power nap.

"Rasengan? Wait, how do you know..." Jiraiya starts to say, but stops as Shizune comes running up, yelling.

"Lady Tsunade, lady Tsunade, come quick" shouts Shizune as she comes to a stop, breathing hard.

"Shizune, what is it, what's wrong" says Tsunade as she and the others look at the brown haired girl.

"It's Tamao, she's..."

Unfortunately, not all stories can have a happy ending...

**next time: predictions, the demon on the island, Moegi**


	46. 46 Beast Bonder

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.46: Beast Bonder**

Tamao was very pale; her breathing was weak and raspy; and she was sweating profusely. As Shizune wiped a wet wash cloth over her forehead, she gave off a barely audible whimper though she was in a coma at this point. Tsunade meanwhile, finished her examination and looked at the others gravely.

"Be honest, Tsunade. Just how is she?" asked Yohmei.

Tsunade didn't want to say it. As a doctor, she knew that delivering bad news was a part of the job. But that didn't mean she had to like it. "I'm sorry. But at the rate she's fading, she won't make it to till sunrise...at best."

"NO" shouts Yoh, getting their attention. "There has to be something you can do. After all, we defeated the source of the sickness. So why...why is she still suffering?"

"She was the only one that was infected directly. And I'm guessing killing the beast alone wasn't enough to help her like the others" explained Shizune.

"What about the Hokuri Sage, lady Tsunade? Can't that be used to help her?" asked Sakura.

"Even if we had been able to find any of the flowers, the amount of time needed to create an effective antidote is more than Tamao has, I'm afraid" said Tsunade, deciding not to say that the cure wouldn't help now anyways.

Yoh turns and slams his fist into the wall, cursing at how powerless he was feeling. All that work to kill the Pasarasite had been in vain. At least where Tamao was concerned. Even Tsunade herself was finding it tough to fight back her own anger over the fact she was feeling like an utter failure.

Jiraiya had been thinking about this; wondering if Fukasaku might know something that could help here. He's drawn from his thoughts when he feels something poking his arm. Looking at Naruto, said person turns his body ever so slightly to show his back. Confused at first, Jiraiya's eyes fall upon the hole in the back of his clothes. And then it hits him. Naruto was trying to tell him that he had been stung as well, but wasn't sick like Tamao. And only one thing could explain why. Now the question was could Tsunade make use of this information? It like it was time to have that talk with her.

Tsunade feels Jiraiya's eyes come onto her and she looks at him. She sees him make a few quick motions with his hands, which she understands immediately from their shared days as Konoha ninja. "Yoh, lord Yohmei, even though it looks grim, I have no intention of giving up."

"You can save her?" asked Yoh, hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Yoh. But the only thing I can promise is that I can make these last few hours as comfortable for her as I can. But, I will still do what I can. But right now, I need you all to leave so I can concentrate on my duty here" said Tsunade.

"Please, let me stay here, by her side" asked Yoh, not wanting to leave Tamao.

"Yoh, I understand you wish to stay with her. But you'll only be in Tsunade's way if you do. I know it's rough, but you need to leave her to Tsunade. If you feel the need to do anything, then pray for her" replied Yohmei so Tsunade didn't have to.

Yoh wanted to argue, wanted to stay no matter what. But he knew from the look in his grandfathers eyes that this was not up to debate."Understood" said Yoh in defeat.

"Sakura, you and the others go with Yoh. I'll call you back by morning" said Tsunade.

After the kids had left, Yohmei walked to the door, then looks back and says "I wish you luck." He then looks at Tamao and says "You are a strong girl. And you are a better shaman than I could ever be. So please, if not for me then for Yoh, don't give up. Be strong and beat this thing, please."

Once Yohmei had left, Tsunade looks at Jiraiya and says "What is it?"

"It's Naruto. He was also infected directly by the Pasarasite" says Jiraiya.

"But he's not showing any signs of being sick" points out Shizune. "Was he spared because of timing between being stung and the death of the beast?"

Tsunade shakes her head, saying "Impossible. Once stung, the Pasarasite's death would be meaningless."

"Could Naruto being an Uzumaki by blood be a factor?" asked Shizune.

"That may be a factor, but not the main one" says Jiraiya, getting their attention. "The real reason Naruto isn't sick is because he's a Jinchurriki; the power of the Kyubi has been sealed within him."

Tsunade took a step back in disbelief at hearing this. Sure, she had suspected that Naruto being a Jinchurriki was a possibility due to what had happened before, but to actually hear it was still something that was hard to take and accept. "Start talking" she commands, wanting to know everything.

"Lady Tsunade, now isn't the time for that. Tamao's life is at stake" points out Shizune.

"Shizune, don't let your feelings for Jiraiya...No, your right. We'll have plenty of time for this talk later. Right now, I need to focus on Tamao" said Tsunade as she began to consider her options.

_'Shizune's feelings for me? Heh, so she still feels that way' _thinks Jiraiya. "Tsunade, is there anything you can do to help her with this new information?"

After another moment of thought, Tsunade says "There may be one option, but I'm gonna need Naruto to help me. So how do we get him in here without the others knowing."

"I think I have an idea" said Jiraiya, then he explains his plan to the two women.

Yoh, Sakura, Kiba, Akamaru, and Naruto where in the house shrine, Yoh was sitting before an alter, knelt down in prayer while the others were also praying with him. A sudden sound catches their attentions, making Kiba ask "Hey, what's that?"

"It sounds like the singing of a mountain toad" replied Sakura.

After another minute of silence, Naruto gets up and starts walking towards the door. "Hey Naruto, where are you going?" asked Kiba.

"Bathroom" was the reply before exiting the shrine.

After walking down the hallway, Naruto enters the bathroom and finds himself coming face to face with himself. "Um...do I know you?"

"Naruto, it's me; Shizune using a transformation jutsu. Lady Tsunade needs your help" said Shizune.

"If there's anything I can do, sure. But why the transformation into me?" asked Naruto.

"So no one will miss you" replied Shizune before exiting the bathroom.

After another minute, Naruto exits the bathroom swiftly and makes his way quietly to Tamao's room. As soon as he entered, Jiraiya locks the door as Naruto ask "Shizune said you needed me. What can I do to help?"

"Here's the plan, Naruto. We are gonna do a blood transfusion between you and Tamao and while we're doing this, you will be calling upon your Jinchurriki power. This will cause your blood to be irradiated with Kyubi's power that will pass into Tamao and purge her body of the Pasarasite sickness, saving her" explained Tsunade.

Though Naruto was worried that Tsunade knew his big secret, but the fact she didn't seemed bothered by it was a relief. But there was still an issue with this plan. "But isn't demonic chakra dangerous for humans to be exposed to. I was alright do to only being a newborn infant which allowed my body to safely adapt. But Tamao won't have it so easily."

"That is correct. There's no doubt that she will be suffering agonizing pain while your blood is flowing into her body and there will likely be some long term side effects she'll suffer from. But it will be a better alternative than death" replied Tsunade.

"I've already place seals across the room to seal of her screams so no one else will hear. But it's still up to you, Naruto" said Jiraiya, though he couldn't help but think Naruto had another reason to not want to use his Jinchurriki power.

"Alright, I'll do it. But what about blood types? Me and Tamao may not be compatable" said Naruto.

"Not to worry. I developed a jutsu that can change a person's blood type to match another's during a blood transfusion for battlefield emergency's. Now strip your top, then lay down" said Tsunade.

Doing what he was told, Naruto stripped his top, then lay down on the table that was set up next to Tamao's bed. Tsunade connected Naruto to Tamao, then told him to call upon Kyubi's power. The power came to him, almost eagerly. As the blood transfusion began, Tsunade instructs Jiraiya to hold Tamao down so she won't jerk from her bed or break the connection before beginning the blood flow between Naruto and Tamao and using her jutsu to make Naruto's blood compatable. A few seconds after Naruto's blood entered Tamao's body, her eyes shoot open as her body jerks upwards. Jiraiya finds holding her down difficult as she violently spams and thrashes about, her screams of pain luckily confined within the walls of the room. It was going to be a long night.

The light of the early morning sun was filtering into the shrine, waking Yoh from his sleep. After yawning, he wonders where he is and looks around. He sees Sakura sleeping in a sitting position with her back resting against the wall, Kiba sleeping with his head resting in her lap, and Akamaru curled up next to him. Naruto is on the opposite side, his eyes closed as well. _'That's right, I'm in the shrine. And it's morning...wait, morning?' _"Tamao" shouts Yoh as he jumps to his feet and runs out of the room.

Sakura jerks await, hearing Yoh and tries to get up, but find a weight upon her lap. Looking down, she blushes as she sees Kiba's head which she promptly shoves off, shouting "You pervert, remind me to kick your ass for putting the moves on me after we check up on Tamao."

As Sakura leaves the room, an awake but slightly out of it Kiba says "Wait, what's going on?" Akamaru barks at him, telling him that he warned Kiba about using Sakura's lap as a pillow, knowing he wouldn't wake before her. He then reminds Kiba that they need to go check on Tamao before following after Sakura. Kiba then follows, grumbling about why fate always made him meet with tough chicks.

Once he was alone, Naruto opens his eyes to reveal how red they are as he collapses forward, turning back into Shizune as she hits the ground. She had kept herself awake all night, in fear that she would fall out of the transformation if she slept. And now it was night night time for her.

"Tamao?" shouts Yoh as he burst into her room, finding Tsunade and Yohmei already in there.

As Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru join him, Tsunade smiles as she says "It was a little touch and go there for a while. But this girl is a stubborn one."

"Lady Tsunade, is she..." asked Sakura.

"She's just fine. She'll need to remain bed ridden for a few days, but she should make a complete recovery" said Tsunade as she ran a hand through Tamao's hair.

Yoh approached her and sat by her bed, reaching his hand out and taking hold of Tamao's hand. As soon as they touch, Tamao's eyes open faintly. She looks at Yoh and ask in a weak voice "Yoh, is everyone OK?"

Yoh nods, then says "Thanks to you, Tamao. You saved everyone."

A tear escapes Tamao's eyes; she says "I'm glad everyone's OK" before falling back into sleep. "You can stay with her if you want" said Tsunade before looking at Sakura and saying "Can you stay with her too while I get some rest?"

"Of course, lady Tsunade" said Sakura before walking over next to Yoh to do a check on Tamao. Kiba decides to excuse himself, happy to know Tamao was OK, so he could get some more shut eye.

Yohmei follows Tsunade outside, then says "Tell me, what did you do to save her?"

Tsunade looks back at him and replies "Nothing, really. What saved her was a miracle."

"What do you mean by miracle?" asked Yohmei.

Tsunade smiles, saying "Exactly what I said." She then looks towards the direction of the house she, Shizune, and Sakura had been given where Jiraiya had taken Naruto so he could rest and recover from his role in saving her. "A miracle" she said again as she walked off to join them for some rest.

Five days later, the group was ready to depart. Tamao had made a full recovery as had the rest of the village, with no signs of any lingering side effects from the Pasarasite. Well, Tamao, was showing some side effects. She seemed to have a lot more energy than before and she seemed a lot more talkative and assertive as well. Tsunade had a feeling that Naruto's blood, enhanced by Kyubi's chakra, was the source, not that she told anyone about that. Tsunade told Yohmei and Yoh that this change was probably only temporary, though Tamao did say she liked her new persona and self it would stay with her.

Yohmei was standing before Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune at the entry way to his families home. "I'd like to again thank you all for what you did here for us. There are no words of gratitude that I can express that would be good enough, but I hope my thanks can be sufficient."

"Of course, lord Yohmei. We were glad we could help out" said Tsunade.

"I would like to make all of you honorary members of this village if I may. If you are ever in the area again, please feel free to stop by as you shall always have a home with us" said Yohmei.

"We'll remember that, sir. But for now, we must be heading out. The boat Jiraiya managed to chart for us is set to depart for Shumoa before sunset and we'll have to hustle if we want to make it in time" said Tsunade.

"Well then, I wish you luck on your return home" said Yohmei.

"Wait, where are Sakura and the boys?" asked Shizune.

"I believe they're saying goodbye to Yoh and Tamao" said Jiraiya.

"I'll get them then" said Shizune who then runs towards Yoh's room.

Inside Tamao's room, Naruto and Sakura were sitting on the floor next to each other, facing Yoh and Tamao who were also sitting on the floor while Kiba was leaning against the wall next to the sliding door. "You want to give us a fortune reading?" asked Naruto.

Tamao nods, then says "As a thank you for all your help. I can use my powers to predict your futures if you wish."

"She's actually pretty good at this; always has been" said Yoh, making Tamao blush from his compliment.

"Thanks but no thanks. Not that I believe in though whole fate and destiny deal; I just already know what my future is. To become the greatest bounty hunter slash leader of the Inuzuka that has ever lived" said Kiba as he pounds his chest in a showing of confidence.

Akamaru barks something, getting a "Hey" from Kiba that sounded like he had just been insulted. "What did Akamaru say?" asked Naruto. "He said he knows his fate already; to be stuck with an idiot like me for the rest of his life" replied Kiba, getting a laugh from everyone.

"Tamao, there is something I would like to know. Will I ever see my beloved Sasuke again?" asked Sakura with hope in her voice.

"I'll find out" said Tamao as she placed her hands upon her Ouija board. She channels her furyoku into the board and slowly, as if in a trance, starts tracing the pointer over the letters. With each stop she makes, a word appears floating over the board. When she felt the spelling was complete, she opens her eyes and reads "Before the next full of the moon shall you again behold that which your heart desires."

"Before the next full moon? That's just seven days from now" says Sakura before getting a big grin on her face and jumping for joy, shouting "Alright, I'm gonna see Sasuke again. And very soon too. This is totally awesome, CHA!"

"Calm down" says Kiba, getting a punch to the gut from Sakura, who tells him to butt out of her happy moment. Meanwhile, Tamao looks at Naruto and ask "What about you?"

"To be honest, I don't believe in fate or destiny. I believe we make our own fates and can change them at will. But still, having an idea about what's to come won't hurt. If it's something I don't like, then I can be sure to change it before it happens" replied Naruto.

"Hey Tamao, use your cards to show Naruto his future. That way, he can be prepared for more than just one moment" says Yoh, getting a nod from Tamao as she reaches into the small pouch hanging from her waist, then lays thirty cards face down between her and Naruto.

"What do I do?" asked Naruto.

"Choose five cards and touch them, then I'll flip them over and we'll see what they say, replies Tamao.

Naruto nods as he reaches out and finds himself being compelled to touch very specific cards. As he does, a number appears on each one till he had chosen the five. With that done, Tamao reaches out and picks up the card with the number one glowing on its back.

"The brother and the sister" says Tamao before showing them the card, which depicts a boy and girl hugging each other.

"OK, so Naruto's gonna have a heart felt reunion with his sister then?" wondered Kiba aloud.

"Except I don't have a sister" said Naruto. "At least I don't think I have one."

"Maybe you'll meet the sister you never knew you had soon. Or it could be that you'll meet someone or have already met someone who will, to you, be seen as an honorary sister and vice versa seeing as the brother and sister are depicted as being a looking to different to be family" says Yoh.

"OK, next one" says Tamao as she picks up the number two card. "The mask?"

"What could that mean?" asked Sakura, looking at the card which depicted a figure holding a mask in hand and was using it to cover most of their face.

"Maybe something to protect his face? Or maybe Naruto creates an alter ego for some reason if it's referring to him. Or the mask could be a sign of deception. It's just to difficult to say, really" says Tamao before placing the card down and grabbing the third. "The tragedy."

Naruto didn't like the sound or look of this card, which showed a person sitting on their knees with tears falling from his/her eyes while screaming at the cloud covered sky. "Do I need to ask?"

"This card...is predicting a terrible moment in the future and that something will cause great pain. But not all may be lost" says Tamao as she points at the ray of sunlight piercing the clouds in the back. "I think that means that there is hope or that the tragedy may not be as tragic as it will first appear to be."

_'I hope so' _thinks Naruto while Tamao grabs the forth card. "The false king" was what the card said upon it. "OK, now that ones a head scratch-er" says Yoh.

Naruto and Kiba simply exchange glances; both having a very good idea as to what that one could mean. Given the fact the false king was armed for battle with enemies around him, Naruto and Kiba both guessed that the king was Danzo and that Naruto was going to return to Chin-Xi and join the battle to free that land from his rule.

"Any ideas, Naruto?" asked Sakura.

"A few, but its better left unsaid. Trust me" replied Naruto.

"OK, now for the last card" said Tamao as she goes to grab it.

"Hey guys, it's time to go" shouts Shizune from outside.

"Just a moment" shouts back Kiba.

"No, now or we're gonna be late and miss our ride" shouts Tsunade who was obviously impatient.

"Come on guys, we better get going" says Sakura as she gets up.

"What? But it's just one more card. That'll only take a second" replies Kiba before Sakura grabs him by the ear and drags him out. "If lady Tsunade says now, then we go now."

Naruto, Tamao, and Yoh get up and follow them outside where they have their final goodbys with one another. Naruto, Sakura, and Kiba all promise to visit them some day. And with that, the travelers from Shumoa depart to begin their journey home. As Tamao enters her room, she decides to look at the final card before putting them away. She picks it up and looks at it and becomes stunned by what she sees.

"Tamao, what is it?" ask Yoh as he enters her room.

Tamao looks back at him and shows him the card. "The sacrifice. If I'm interpreting it correctly, Naruto's gonna sacrifice himself at some point in the future. Naruto could even die as a result."

Yoh didn't like the sound of that and felt compelled to chase after them and tell Naruto. But he had a feeling that Naruto would be fine. If anyone could escape a bad fate, it would be him.

**(early the next morning)**

The sound of waves hitting the shore and seagulls cawing brought Naruto back to consciousness. He groaned as he found his fingers digging into what felt like sand. Finally able to lift his head up, he realizes that he was laying on a beach, feeling a little sick.

_'What the...what happened? And where am I?' _wondered Naruto as he picked himself up and dusted the sand that was sticking to him off. He was a little stiff, but couldn't find any sign of broken bones. Not that he was expecting any. And it quickly became clear that he was alone from what he could see.

And then his memories of the night before came flooding back into his conscious mind. They had arrived at the fishing village and met with the rather annoyed captain, who complained that they were late and was about to leave without us. As they got aboard his ship, a dock hand informed them that a storm was coming in from the west, though the captain was certain they would make land fall at their destination in Shumoa before it hit or at least while it was still a minor inconvenience.

The captain had been wrong as the storm had come in surprisingly fast within twenty minutes of the full hour they were expecting to take to cross the Impta Sea. It had become so bad so quickly that the Shumoan's had decided to help keep the ship from being destroyed. And during this assist, a powerful wave had slammed into the ship and Naruto had found himself being thrown overboard. He had tried to fight the raging current and make it back to the ship, but any attempt was pointless seeing as it only took a few seconds before he lost sight of the ship to the combined madness of the crashing waves, relentless rain fall, and the darkness and he had to stay focused on staying above the water or die.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" shouts Naruto, getting no response.

Had the ship made it safely to port, or had it capsized in the storm. Had the others made it or was he the only survivor? That thought definatley made him worry but it was also something he needed to worry about later. Right now, finding out where he was was the most important priority.

"Shadow Clone jutsu" says Naruto, creating three clones. "OK, lets fan out and see if we can find anything or anyone." Getting a nod from the clones, the four Naruto's race into the sea of palm trees and begin their search for civilization or anything that could be useful.

**(Oikawa Village; Shumoa continent)**

"Please, you must let us borrow a boat" begged Jiraiya, hoping his plea's would help them.

"Mister Jiraiya, I've already told you. All of our useable boats are currently away with the first expected to return is still about two hours away. And as I'm sure you know, the boat you came in on won't be sailing again any time soon" replied the mayor or Oikawa.

"I heard you before, but there must be something I can use" said Jiraiya.

"Calm down Jiraiya, getting emotional won't help us find Naruto" said Tsunade.

Jiraiya turned and looked at her with an angry glare. He wanted to ask her if she was even worried for Naruto's safety; if she even cared. But he knew those thoughts were stupid. Of course she cared seeing as she and Naruto were blood relatives; not that Naruto knew this. Tsunade was just trying to be the rational one here to counter his inpatients.

"Not that going out on a search will do you any good, old man. As fierce as that weather was, there's simply know way he could still be alive" said the captain of the ship; not wanting to be cruel, but feeling that the obvious needed to be stated here.

"Why you..." growled Jiraiya, wanting to attack the captain for that remark.

Tsunade reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder, getting Jiraiya to look at her so her own gaze could tell him to calm down. But then she looks at the captain and says in a cold, yet controlled voice "And why are you so confident that he's dead?"

The captain sighs, then says "Be realistic people. The sea was creating massive tidal waves, ones that were big enough to snap my ship like a twig and its a miracle we made it here alive ourselves. Also, it was night out and the moon was being blocked out by the storm clouds, making his ability to see anything virtually nonexistent. And finally, with that wind blowing eastward with the force it was producing, he would have easily been sent into Pasaden Ocean."

Neither Jiraiya or Tsunade said anything. They didn't really know what they could say. As much as they hated to admit it, Naruto was likely gone and they would never find his body; alive or dead,

"Hypothetically speaking, if Naruto did somehow survive the storm, is there still a chance we could find him?" asked Shizune.

"Like I said before, he'd be in the Pasaden Ocean now and that's way to much area for anyone to search over" said the captain.

"Maybe not" said the mayor as he got up and grabbed a sea chart and rolled it out on a table. "Captain, where were you when the storm hit? And where do you think you were when the kid went overboard?"

"Let's see" said the captain as he did the calculation in his head. He then places a tack onto the map while saying "We were here when the rain started to fall and if my assumption is correct, then I believe we were here." He then places a tack on the point he was talking about.

"I see" said the mayor as he did his own calculations. "There may be hope then."

"Really?" said Jiraiya with hope in his voice. Both Tsunade and Shizune also perked up from hearing that. Sakura and Kiba, who had remained quiet do to their personal worries, walked over and looked at the map.

"If my guess on the current Naruto got caught up in is correct, then he could have made it to one of these three islands that are on the boarder between the Impta Sea and the Pasaden Ocean. But please keep in mind that the chances for this are incredibly slim here" said the mayor.

"Even so, at least there is hope know. Sir, will you please let us borrow the first boat that be returning?" asked Jiraiya.

Normally, the mayor would say no seeing as this would set them back on their trade missions which the money from those is what helped this village survive. But he had a feeling Jiraiya wouldn't take no as an answer and he would likely try to steal the ship once it had arrived.

"Very well. But in return, will you help us with some things here in our village while we await the ships return?" asked the mayor.

"Of course" said Jiraiya. As the mayor tells Jiraiya what he needs, Sakura gets a funny feeling and looks towards the open window, seeing nothing of interest.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?" asked Kiba.

"Nothing; just my imagination" she replied. Meanwhile, a figure was slowly walking away from the dock house the meeting was happening in; a grave look on his face.

**(island)**

Naruto felt the knowledge gained by two of the Shadow Clones flowing into his mind as soon as they had dispelled themselves. They had met up on the far side of what he now knew to be an island and all that had been found was the remains of a dock with no boats to be seen. Plus, the docks looked like they hadn't been used in a really long time.

"OK Naruto, just how are you gonna get yourself out of this one?" he wondered aloud. He could chop down some of the trees here on the island and make a raft, either using rope from the dock if there was any to use or see if he could find some vines to use. But this still didn't help him know what direction to go after getting off the island. In truth, the best thing to do now was to stay here and hope for a rescue.

Just then, the memories of the last clone came flooding in and he saw the image of an old building appearing in his mind. Maybe he could find something helpful in there. Naruto then starts to run in the direction the clone had gone, but realizes that the clone hadn't canceled itself out. It had been attacked by something from behind. Naruto pulls out a kunai and readies it to defend himself just in case.

Soon enough, he arrives at the old building and comes to a stop. This was where the clone had been when it had attacked and he decides to proceed forward with caution. As he draws closer to the building, he comes to realize that he knows just what kind of building it is.

"A prison" he said to himself.

This island must have been used to hold dangerous criminals at one point. Maybe even prisoners of war during the great shinobi wars of the past. But much like the docks, this place appeared to not have seen use in a long time. But that didn't mean that anyone contained here had been moved off the island when it had been abandoned. With a small pool of fresh water in one area of the island, bananas and coconuts, and fishing as an option (though a difficult one), anyone could survive marooned here for some time.

The sudden rustling of foliage sent him on alert as he went into being combat ready. His eyes darted around, using his honed ninja training to scan each and every thing within his line of sight. When he saw a small lizard come rushing from a bush, darting into another one near by, he relaxes a little as he breathes a sigh of relief.

The impact from behind came so fast and hard that Naruto didn't have time to brace himself before he slammed into the ground hard; the force of which knocked the wind out of him. Cursing himself for his moment of carelessness, he tries to get up till he feels something scratching deep into his back, making him cry out from the sudden pain.

A surge of adrenaline pulses through him, allowing him to make a successful role that forces the heavy entity that was clawing upon his back to be forced to jump off. Using that moment to push off the ground with his hands to get back on his feet, his eyes finally catch sight of his attacker.

And he was surprised to find that it was a little girl who appeared to be eight or nine in age. A practically naked little girl. A practically naked little girl who had a look about her that screamed wild, mindless beast. And she had a grayish colored chakra cloak wrapped around her body. Much like Naruto's when he was in his Mazuko mode.

"You...your...a Jinchurriki" said Naruto, shocked by all he was seeing and having to take in.

The girl screeches as she lunges forward, then leaps at him with kill in her eye. Though he didn't want to hurt her, both because she was a little girl and a Jinchurriki like himself, he had no plans on dying here either, so he goes to swing his kunai at her. Problem was, he no longer had it in his hands; likely had slipped from his grip during her first attack.

That oversight cost him as the girl slammed into him again, knocking him onto his back and forcing him to howl in pain from the impact to wound from her earlier attack. She's on him just as quick and bites deep and hard into his shoulder before he can even think. The burning feeling along with the intense pain makes Naruto scream in agony as the girl begins to eat him alive.

And then it happened; it came so fast that Naruto didn't even realize it was coming. His eyes shift red and the chakra cloak of the Kyubi blazes to life around him, making the girl pause but still maintain her bite hold. Before he could stop himself, Naruto's head shoots up and bites the girls shoulder with the same force and intensity that she was biting him with, making her cry out in pain and agony as well.

She releases her bite and jumps away, whimpering a little from her injury. But she keeps her eyes locked onto Naruto, confused by what she was seeing. As Naruto gets back on his feet, he can feel his wounds already healing at an excellerated rate and he can see the girls wound was also healing, though it appeared to be at a slower pace than his. After a tense moment, the girl begins to approach him, but slower and more cautious this time.

Naruto was wondering if this was a trick; a way to catch him off guard. But he was in Mazuko mode now so anything she did would be manageable for him to deal with now. Once she was within striking distance, she surprises him by sniffing the air, then circling around him. She then cocks her head in confusion, not sure what to make of this creature before her.

Naruto was about to speak when something weird happens with the girls chakra cloak. It suddenly gets all staticy and wild and she freezes up before collapsing to the ground, crying out from pain. Something was wrong with her power, that much was obvious to Naruto. Moving on instinct, Naruto rushes forward and embraces the girl in a tight hug. She fight back at first, but her struggling lessens as Naruto somehow uses his cloak to stabilize hers. After a few moments, her cloak calms down and fades away all together, making her take on a less bestial but still partly wild look. She looks up at him, a look of gratitude in her eyes before they close and she falls asleep.

Naruto exits Mazuko mode, but keeps cradling the little girl in his arms as he thinks _'That must have been horribly exhausting for her. She's so drained that she fell asleep.'_

Picking her up, Naruto begins to look for a place to set up camp for the night. He wasn't sure when or if he'd ever get rescued from this place. But there was something he did know for a fact. This girl needed him and he was gonna do what ever it takes to help her.

**(Oikawa village – sunset)**

"I'm sorry you weren't able to find the boy, mister Jiraiya" said the mayor, wishing things had gone better. They had sailed out and had furiously search each one but had found no sign of Naruto anywhere. And as much as he wanted to keep his hope alive, even Jiraiya was beginning to doubt.

"What am I gonna do, Tsunade? He was Minato and Kushina's kid and losing him means I failed them. And I can't imagine what Sarutobi-sensei and Kakashi will think as well as his friends" said Jiraiya mournfully.

"I know, I feel the same way" replied Tsunade.

"Master Jiraiya, what about a reverse summoning?" asked Shizune. When Jiraiya and Tsunade look at her, confused, she adds "Naruto signed the Toad scroll, did he not? Surely lord Fukasaku can use a reverse summoning to call him here, right?"

"Jiraiya, she's right" said Tsunade, giving Shizune a smile to show how proud she was of her.

"Brilliant idea" adds Jiraiya, grabbing her and planting a quick kiss on her lips. As Jiraiya makes his summoning hand signs, Tsunade has to fight back her laugh at seeing Shizune's expression; a mad blush covering her face but an almost dream like look in her eyes as she sways back and forth, fighting to stay conscious.

"Jiraiya-boy, did you need something?" asked Fukasaku as he appears before them.

"Yes; it's Naruto. He's missing and I was hoping you can reverse summon him back here for us" said Jiraiya.

"He's missing? What happened...no, wait. Tell me after the fact" said Fukasaku as he makes a several hand signs, summoning two large scrolls. Unraveling the first one, he examines it, then says "Well, we know he's alive as his name is still red in color here on our master contract scroll."

As Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune breath a sigh of relief from hearing that, Fukasaku unravels the other scroll, then touches Naruto's name to memorize his chakra signature, he then places his hand on the second scroll and says "Summoning jutsu."

But nothing appeared. "Lord Fukasaku, what happened?" asked Shizune.

"I see" said Fukasaku before looking at the three humans and says "Where ever Naruto is, its some place I can't summon him from."

"But why lord Fukasaku?" asked Tsunade.

"He must be near a source of incredible chakra, one so strong that anything less would be rendered mute against it. And the only thing I can think of that could do that is a Biju or a Jinchurriki who's seal isn't stable; the Jinchurriki's power is out of control."

Though Jiraiya didn't like the sound of that, "At least he's still alive. That alone is enough to be thankful for. And if Naruto is near another Jinchurriki, then he should be OK seeing as he can call on Kyubi's power in a pinch."

Fukasaku nods, then says "I'll return to Mt. Myoboku and see if we can find anything with the prophets help. I'll be in touch." And with that, Fukasaku warps back home.

"Lady Tsunade, lady Tsunade, did you find him?" shouts Sakura as she and Kiba come running up as they had been made to stay behind to help out around the village. Kiba's staying was due to all the salty sea air clogging up his and Akamaru's sniffers.

"No, unfortunately. But we do know he's alive at least" replied Tsunade.

"Come with me; there's a man here who says he has an idea where Naruto could be" said Sakura before she and Kiba start running back in the direction they had came from, with their three elders following after them. Soon, they were entering a building that was used by the villages resident doctor.

"I had a feeling some one had been watching us earlier and after you left, I found out that it was this guy" said Sakura as she pointed to the doctor.

"We confronted him and he admitted to it, but then he told us some interesting things" adds Kiba.

"And that would be?" asked Jiraiya.

"I'm guessing you didn't find the boy?" said the doctor in a matter of fact tone. Seeing the annoyed faces, he smiles and says "To be honest, I had a feeling he wouldn't be found. But there is still a possibility that can be explored."

"And that would be?" asked Jiraiya.

"The fourth island; the ones the villagers don't like to think about" replied the doctor before rolling out the sea chart he had borrowed (stolen) from the mayors house. He then places a finger over an area just past the edge to the Pasaden Ocean. "Here; if he survived the storm then he'll be here without a doubt."

"But how can you be sure?" asked Shizune.

"The currents would have carried him here, even in the roughest weather based on your ships position when he went overboard" replied the doctor.

"But if that's true, then why isn't the island on the map?" asked Tsunade suspiciously.

"That...is a difficult story to tell, but I'll tell you seeing as your need is great. The island in question was home to a Kiri created prison used to contain war prisoners and other dangerous elements during the wars. When the 5th Mizukage came to power, she had the place shut down do to rumors of the inhumane treatments that occurred within that place. But unbeknownst to her, the prison had an underground area that was used to contain the failed weapon of the 4th Mizukage; the second Sanbi Jinchurriki. And I believe that she is still there" said the doctor.

"But how do you know all this?" asked Shizune.

"Because I was once a Kiri nin; one of the 4th's personal assassins. And it shames me to admit that I was involved in the death of the 3rd Mizukage, Yagura who was the first Sanbi Jinchurriki. After the bloodline purge, I lost faith in many things and I left that life behind. I came here and became a doctor, forging a new identity for myself and serving the village an important friend came from."

"I see" said Jiraiya before asking "Can you take us to the island?"

"I do have a boat; one of a few items I took with me when I left Kiri. But we'll have to wait till morning. Though the facility was abandoned, the traps around the island still remain and I don't have the equipment to help detect them in the dark. It'll have to wait till sunrise, I'm sorry."

"I understand and I accept. I just hope Naruto will be fine till then" said Jiraiya as he looked out the window into the night.

**(island)**

By the time the girl had woken up, night had already covered the sky. She saw Naruto sitting close by, stoking the camp fire to make sure it was strong. Looking over at her, Naruto smiles and says "So, you finally woke up, huh? Are you hungry?"

He saw the hesitation in her eyes and realized that she had likely never seen a fire before. Giving her a reassuring smile, he moves over to her and takes her hand, drawing her closer. Once they were sitting next to the fire, Naruto holds his hands out to warm them, then looks at her and gives her a look that tells her its OK. She looks at the fire for a moment before cautiously reaching her own hands out, smiling and making a happy sound at the feel of warmth she was experiencing. But she starts to move closer, making Naruto stop her. She was scared at first till Naruto says "Don't touch it, it'll hurt you."

"Hu...rt me?" said the girl.

_'Can she understand me?' _wondered Naruto. He decided to give it a try. "Can you say my name? Naruto."

The girl looked at him again, making Naruto repeat his name to her. "Na...ru...to?" she said, earning a nod and smile from Naruto. "Na-ru-to" she said again and again, becoming happy with herself.

"And you?" asked Naruto, getting her attention. He then points to himself and says "Naruto." He then points to her, hoping she got the idea. "M...M...Mo..." she starts to say, till a light appears upon her.

Suddenly, a seal materializes on her before the chakra cloak appears and she starts screaming in pain as she moves away from Naruto. But Naruto is quick to respond as he grabs her and wraps her in a tight hug. Though she struggles to free herself, he keeps his hold till her episode ends and she passes out again. It was the seal; something was wrong with it. Naruto's instincts told him as much, though he didn't know how he could know that seeing as he knew jack about seals.

Deciding to keep hugging her in the hopes it would keep her calm, he lays back and is soon fast asleep.

Naruto found himself being woken as he felt her stirring from her own slumber. He figured they must have both slept through the night as the sun was already out in full force. Feeling his stomach growl as well as hearing hers, he says "Let's go find some food, huh?"

Once Naruto was on his feet, he takes the girl by her hand and starts to lead her towards the shore. Just then, Naruto hears a familiar voice. "Naruto, Naruto, are you out here?" comes the voice of Jiraiya.

A feeling of relief rushes through Naruto as he shouts out "Yeah, I'm here." He then feels the girls nervousness. "It's OK, its a friend." Though she didn't understand, she did trust this person.

After a few minutes of moving through large grass and bushes, Naruto finally catches sight of Jiraiya and Tsunade, who come running up to him. "Naruto, are you OK?" asked Jiraiya.

Naruto nods, then says "Yeah, and I found a friend."

Tsunade looks at her, making the girl hide behind Naruto as best she can. "Let's get back to the village; I'll examine her there."

Once they had returned, the former Kiri nin turned medic allowed them to use his place to give the girl her examination, though he admitted that he wasn't sure bringing her here was a good idea. He had then left to go gather much needed medicinal herbs and wouldn't be back to late. Kiba decided to do some exercises with Akamaru outside while the examination was going on. Once she was done, Tsunade says "Apart from her being malnourished and severely underweight, she seems to be is surprisingly good condition. Sakura, go get some food for her so we can start getting some meat on those bones."

"Understood, lady Tsunade" replied Sakura before exiting the room.

With Sakura gone, Tsunade looks at Naruto and says "Her status as a Jinchurriki is likely the reason she's even still alive now."

Naruto nods, then looks at Jiraiya and says "Pervy Sage, can you look at her seal for me? I caught a glimpse of it last night and I think something is wrong with it. She seems to suffer from these episodes of being out of control that also look painful."

"Let's find out" said Jiraiya as he approaches the girl, who tries to pull away as Jiraiya reaches out for her. But Naruto's gentle touch and reassuring smile help to calm her as Jiraiya lifts her shirt up enough to expose her stomach. He then uses his chakra to make her seal appear.

"Your suspicions are correct, Naruto. Who ever placed this seal on her did a horrible job. A seal like this can't be expected to contain a power as strong as a Biju's. Why its a miracle its held up this long."

"Can you help her?" asked Naruto.

Jiraiya nods, then makes several hand signs before placing both hands against her stomach. The girl cringes about as another seal appears upon her; overlapping the original. "That's the best I can do now. Truth be told, the best solution would be to remove the old seal and place a stronger one in its place. But the moment the old seal is removed, the power of the Sanbi would be unleashed and it would take a few seconds between removal and placing the new; a few seconds that could result in her death."

"So we're stuck with a seal enhancer then?" inquired Tsunade.

"For now; at least until I can think of a way to do the needed job without risk to her. At least her berserker issue will be lessened though being around violence could still trigger it" said Jiraiya.

"But why place such a weak seal on her to begin with?" wondered Shizune.

"She would have been made a Jinchurriki during the time of the 4th Mizukage and given what we know and have heard about him, I'm guessing this was a sick experiment he was playing with" replied Jiraiya.

"In any event, I'll want to hold off our return to Senhana till after she's in better shape physically; at least three or four days" said Tsunade.

"Well then, if that's the case, I'll take the opportunity to escort Kiba back home and report in with his mother" said Jiraiya as he turns to leave.

"I'll come along, at least to say goodby to Kiba and Akamaru" said Naruto as he goes to follow.

He stops as he feels the girl grabbing his sleeve. Looking back, he sees the worry in her eyes. He walks back and hugs her, saying "I'll be right back. I'm just going to say goodby to a friend."

The girl nods, then says "Na-ru-to." She stops for a second, then says "Mo...eg...i."

"Moegi; is that your name?" asked Naruto, getting a nod from the girl. He smiles at her and says "Moegi, its a cute name. I'll be right back, Moegi. I promise." And with that, Naruto and Jiraiya exit the room. A moment later, they were standing before Kiba.

"Well, I guess this is goodby for now" said Naruto as he stood before Kiba.

"Yeah, but if you ever need a tracker. You know who to call" replied Kiba, getting a nod from Naruto.

"Naruto, do you think that girl is the sister Tamao predicted for you?" asked Kiba.

"I think so" replied Naruto.

"Well, if you ever find yourself returning to Chin-Xi to depose that Danzo guy, let me know and I'll come along to help out" said Kiba.

"Right" replied Naruto as they shake hands and Naruto pets Akamaru on his head. And with that, Jiraiya leaves with the Inuzuka and his partner while Naruto returns to help Moegi with her education.

**Next time: the battle for Senhana; prelude**

**N.O. Info**

Before I close this chapter out, there are a few quick things I wanna say.

First, as I'm sure many of you noticed, the title of this series had undergone a slight change. It is now known as **Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**. The reason for the Invoke being added is for two reasons. One, Invoke was always the proper title for this story and the Overdrive part was the name being given for act 1 with any other act being given different names to help keep which arc is which easy to tell. The other is that with the coming release of **Naruto Invoke movie fic: Demon of the Blue Kingdom**, I felt it would be helpful that change the title now to help connect the series with the movie fic.

Now, as for the movie fic. I'm currently writing it as you read this and will likely have it posted within the next two or three weeks (this is due to the fic like being thirty pages long at my current estimate). Also, until the fic is released, there won't be any new Naruto Invoke: Overdrive updates as I'll be focusing on doing the movie fic. Once the movie fic is done, I'll begin writing and soon release the Eight Faced arc's first chapter (a week after the movie fics release) which will revolve around Orochimaru's attack on Konoha as well as several familiar faces showing up to lend a hand. Who? You'll find out soon enough.

Also, fans of **Rave Master Naruto** will be happy to know the new chapter will be released by the end of March, if not sooner. Hell, it might even come out before the movie fic. It depends on which one is finished first.

And finally, some of my reviewers have asked why Ana wasn't present in the Waste Away arc, yet Tamao was. Well, truth be told, I was never to fond of YohXAna. I know I'm in the extreme minority here, but I've always been a YohXTamao shipper as Tamao reminds me of Hinata (what with her shyness and her unending love for Yoh). That said, here's the explanation into the larger back story of what was going on within Takeihama and the lives of the Shaman King characters for this story.

_Yoh was born with an older twin brother, Hao. As the older, Hao was naturally expected to take over as leader of the family when Yohmei died. But at the age of seven, Hao disappeared unexpectedly one night from his room. The only clue that could be fond was a card that said **Welcome to our Xcution**__on it. _Note: that's a joke of course...unless you guys actually like that idea.

_With Hao missing, his and Yoh's parents; Mikihisa and Keiko left on a journey to begin searching for him. A search that is still going on even now. But a problem has naturally arisen. Hao, when he was an infant, had been placed into an arranged marriage with a girl named Ana, who's family has strong ties with Mifune, lord of Iroh. Seeing as Ana possesses strong spiritual powers, a union between a son of Asakura and her will produce powerful children._

_With Hao still missing and the wedding only a few years off (set to happen once Hao and Ana are sixteen), Kino Asakura, the wife of Yohmei, has gone to see if Ana's family as well as Ana herself will be willing to change their plans so that it is Yoh Ana marries if Hao can't be found in time. Is this is agreeable, then Ana will return with Kino to live with the Asakura for a time in order for her and Yoh to get to know each other better and make their possible future marriage easier on them._

_Naturally, this creates a problem for both Yoh and Tamao and their budding romance. What will happen? Perhaps when Naruto does return to Chin-Xi, we'll get an answer to that question. And if not, then maybe I'll start a **Shaman King Unity: Oversoul **fic to answer the questions. Do you want it?_


	47. 47 Eight Faced 1

**AN: Rave Master Naruto **chpt.47 will be up next week (maybe 48 too)

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.47: Eight Faced 1 – The Tense Calm**

The team remained in the sea side village for three days, taking the opportunity to help Moegi rediscover her humanity. Jiraiya had been gone for nearly two and a half days with taking Kiba and Akamaru back home and giving Tsume his opinion on how well he did.

When Jiraiya had returned, he had seemed a little out of it which worried Shizune. Tsunade, on the other hand, just waved it off as being no big deal. When Sakura had asked Naruto if he knew what could make Jiraiya act like he was, Naruto replied that Tsume had her eyes on Jiraiya and had likely done something to him. Tsunade then says that she had warned him years before that his perverted nature would one day come back to bite him on the ass. Tsume apparently was the bite she had predicted.

But soon, they knew that they couldn't delay their return anymore and set out for Senhana. The trip took about a day and they now stood on the banks of the large lake where the hidden island was located.

"I'll open the path" said Jiraiya as he steps forward. He then makes several hand signs before placing both hands upon the ground, saying "Path within the water, arise. Gate of the Senju, open. Reveal yourself to us now, glorious Senhana."

A pulse of chakra shoots out from Jiraiya's hands, sailing across the water as a field of light appears and shapes itself into a path upon the water for them to walk. A mist rises from the center of the lake and from within this mist, the forest city of Senhana and the island that birthed it appeared.

"Wow, that's amazing" said Sakura in total awe. "Have you ever seen it before, Shizune?"

Shizune shakes her head, saying "No, this is the first time I've ever been here. It's even more amazing and beautiful than I heard it was." She then looks at Tsunade and ask "Lady Tsunade, just how did your ancestor's create this illusion? And just how did Senhana come into existence?"

Tsunade doesn't respond; she just simply looks out at her family home. "Tsunade, is something wrong?" asked Jiraiya.

"Huh? What?" asked Tsunade, blinking as she looks at everyone. "Oh, sorry. I was just...lost in the moment." She then looks back at Senhana and says "My Senju blood is reacting to Senhana. The spirit of Senhana, though asleep, senses my presence and is calling out to me, welcoming home."

"Hey guys, look" says Naruto, pointing the the islands edges. He's careful with moving as Moegi is riding him piggy back and was currently asleep. "There's defensive barriers up."

The others look and realize that Naruto was right; there were barriers set up along the edges. Barriers that appeared to be about twenty feet or so tall. "Has the attack happened yet?" asked Shizune.

"If it had, then we'd likely be seeing more indications of damage in the surrounding area. But this does say we may have returned just in time" said Tsunade.

"In any event, we won't know just standing around here" said Jiraiya as he walks onto the path of light. "Let's hurry and go see Sarutobi-sensei."

They quickly cross the path and soon arrive at a large gate at the paths end. "Hey, is anyone here?" shouts Jiraiya.

A second passes before a figure comes sailing across the top of the gate, landing before them. "Master Jiraiya, you've returned" said the ninja, recognizing the Toad Sage immediately.

Jiraiya can't help but notice the man wasn't wearing the normal Konoha ninja garments; but dark green armor. "What's going on here? Have you been attacked?"

The ninja shakes his head, then says "No, but we believe an attack will come at any time. Lord Hokage can explain the rest in full. Sit tight, I let you in." The ninja then jumps back over the fence.

Tsunade takes a moment to walk forward and places a hand on the wooden barrier. "This isn't normal wood. This is a Wood Style jutsu."

"So, does that mean there's a new Mokuton master then?" asked Sakura.

"I'm not sure, but it's looking that way" replied Tsunade as the gate opens, letting them in.

Once inside, Jiraiya proceeds to lead them towards the central tree where Sarutobi would be. Tsunade looks back and can't help but smile at seeing Sakura and Shizune's expressions at seeing Senhana up close. She remembered her own first visit here as a child with her grandfather, staring off in wonder at the city above the ground and the wooden path ways crossing from one tree to another.

"Guys, will you go on without me" said Naruto suddenly, making them stop.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?" asked Sakura.

"It's Moegi. I want to take her back to my place so she can rest on a comfortable bed" was his reply.

"That's fine, Naruto. I'll have Kakashi come by and fill you in on what's going on later" said Jiraiya.

Once Naruto had left them, Jiraiya leads the others to their destination. Within twelve minutes, they were coming upon the door that led into the Hokage's office. They could hear talking coming from just beyond and one of the voices sounded like Kakashi's. _'At least we won't have to wait for him to join us' _thinks Jiraiya as he knocks on the door.

"Enter" comes the voice of Sarutobi from the other side, sounding exhausted yet stern.

Jiraiya opens the door, saying "Hope we're not interrupting anything" as he enters the room followed by Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura.

"Jiraiya, you're back! And Tsunade..." says Sarutobi as he stands quickly, relief present on his face.

"It's been a while, Sarutobi-sensei" says Tsunade as the old man walks around his desk and hugs her.

Once they part, Sarutobi looks her over and says "Look at you; not a day older than when I last saw you. Although, your chest has certainly grown quite a lot. Guess that Uzumaki blood really has done you good."

Tsunade laughs, saying "I should have guessed old age would turn you into something of a pervert." But then she looks down at her exposed cleavage and adds "Though I guess I have expanded a little since I was last here nearly twenty years ago."

Sarutobi smiles at her, then turns his attention to Shizune and says "Is that you, Shizune? You've sure grown up since I last saw you."

"Back when I was still an academy student, lord Hokage. So I guess I have grown up since then" was her reply as she remembered her life back then.

Truth be told, it was Tsunade's original Genin student, Kushina, leaving the village with Jiraiya and Minato that had led Tsunade to finally leave. Well, it had been Kushina that had brought Tsunade back to Konoha to begin with after her first departure do to the death of both her brother, Nawaki, and her secret lover, Dan. When she had left, Shizune, then just eleven years old, had approached her and asked to come with her to learn her skills. Seeing as Shizune was Dan's only living relative, she had accepted. The rest, as they say, was history.

"I hope Tsunade hasn't caused you any undo grief over the years" says Sarutobi.

Shizune shakes her head, saying "Never sir, except when she gambles though. And gets drunk too, I guess. Oh, and..."

"I'm sure her gets the idea, Shizune" grumbles Tsunade, and Shizune just sticks her tongue out in reply as she blushes a little and Sakura just chuckles.

"And who are these two?" asked Sarutobi, looking at Sakura and Tonton in her arms.

Sakura bows her head as does Tonton, saying "My name is Sakura Haruna and this is Tonton. It's an honor to meet you sir."

"I saved Tonton a few years ago from a mad butcher and Sakura has been traveling with us for a time after I saw her desire to learn my special brand of medicinal skills" explained Tsunade.

"Pardon my interruption" breaks in Kakashi. "But where is Naruto? Is he OK?" he ask with a concerned tone.

Sarutobi realizes that Kakashi was correct; that Naruto wasn't there and became worried himself. "Don't worry, he's fine. He's back at his place now" says Jiraiya.

"That's odd. He knows it's regulation to report in after a mission" says Asuma, breaking his silence.

"True, but some thing's have happened since we left that have made thing's...interesting" said Jiraiya.

"Please tell us" said Sarutobi as he returns to his seat.

"Shouldn't we fill them in on what's going on here first?" asked Kurenai. "After all, I'm sure they have questions as well."

"True, but first things first" said Jiraiya before recounting the events that had occurred since they had stayed the night in Wave. Tsunade also explained the events that had happened since she and Shizune had left years before as well.

Once they were finished, Sarutobi takes a puff from his pipe, then says "Interesting, very interesting indeed. So we have a potential threat brewing in Chin-Xi from this Danzo person. And on your return trip, you found a Jinchurriki from Kiri as well. Sounds like you had an eventful trip."

"And the reason Naruto isn't here with us is because he's caring for her now" adds Kakashi.

"Exactly" says Jiraiya. He then looks at Kakashi and says "And on the subject of Naruto, there's some thing I wish to speak to you about later. But for now, it's time we learn about what is going on here."

"Indeed" said Sarutobi as he stands again. "But before that, there is one more thing I need to ask." He then looks at Tsunade and ask "I'm sure Jiraiya as told you about why I sent him to find you. So tell me; will you succeed me and become the 4th Hokage?"

Tsunade sighs, saying "I knew this question was coming." After a moments pause, she says "I didn't come here to become Hokage, sensei. I came here to defend Senhana as is my duty and obligation as a Senju and the granddaughter of Hashirama, the 1st Hokage. Once this matter with our old friend has been resolved, I will make my final decision on whether or not I will accept the position or not."

"I understand" said Sarutobi. He was a little disheartened by her words. But the fact she wasn't saying no outright gave him some hope.

"Now tell me, sensei. Just what possessed you to bring Konoha here to Senhana anyways? You know this place is sacred ground. Why risk defiling it, destroying it, even for the sake of the village and its people?"

"I know it's a great risk; one I wish I didn't have to make. But I know of the legends of Senhana that say that she will awaken in times of need and defend her people from evil. The truth is...I hope that if the need arises, then Senhana will awaken and save us."

"And how do you plan on getting Senhana to awaken?" asked Tsunade. "You know as well as I do that only one who has the power of the Mokuton kekkei genkai can even commune with her spirit." After a pause, she says "I saw the barricade's surrounding Senhana. I know those aren't your average wooden barriers. Have you actually found a Mokuton user?"

"Yamato" shouts Sarutobi, who then points to his right. Everyone watches as a figure emerges from the wood, taking a human shape. "You called, lord Hokage?" asked the brown haired newcomer.

Sarutobi then looks at Tsunade and the others and says "Allow me to introduce Tenzou Yamato, the successor to lord Hashirama's blood limit."

"How?" asked Tsunade as she looks at Yamato. "I know my family history. Apart from grandpa, the only other person who had Mokuton was my older brother and...well, you know what happened there. So how can you have it?"

"It was Orochimaru" said Yamato.

"We don't know the details at this time. But it seems Orochimaru found the hidden burial site to the Senju tribe and obtained samples of lord first DNA. Maybe lord second's too. Then, he somehow combined that DNA with several fetus's in some sort of experiment. I learned of this and found his lab and confronted him. This was the event that led him to leave us. Afterward's, I found Yamato here as the only survivor. We took him and raised him, discovering the full extent of what Orochimaru had done when he was a genin. Since then, we have worked to help him master the Mokuton" explained Sarutobi.

Tsunade clenches her fist, gritting her teeth as her anger flares up. "Damn you, Orochimaru..." she swears under her breath. For this disrespect, she was going to do some serious payback on him.

"While we're on the subject, now will be a good time to tell us why the barriers. Has he already attacked?" asked Jiraiya.

Sarutobi shakes his head, then says "Not yet, but there's no doubt he knows we're here now."

"But how?" asked Tsunade. "Besides yourself, only I knew of Senhana's location."

"We had a sleeper agent in our midst. One of our Jonin had been captured and brainwashed by Orochimaru some years ago into sending Orochimaru messages when ever he went off on a mission. A few days after Jiraiya and Naruto had left to find you, we noticed he was missing. We soon found him a few miles out and brought him back. Due to how he was acting, we had Ibiki Morino and Inoichi Yaminaka examine him. In was then we learned of what Orochimaru had done to him. Inoichi was able to reverse the brainwashing, but it was already to late. And over the last few days, there has been an unsettling quiet over the area" said Sarutobi.

"Both the plants and animals have been on edge, as if they sense the presence of something evil and dangerous" adds Yamato.

"Long story short, we believe he has finally decided to make his move. And so, we've been preparing as best we can" said Sarutobi.

"But if he is out there, why didn't he attack us?" wondered Shizune aloud.

"Either we were on the far side of where he is or he felt we weren't worth bothering with now. Just goes to show how confident he is of his ability to win" says Jiraiya.

"In any event, you now know the situation here. Now we need to get to work with finishing our preparations" said Sarutobi.

Tsunade nods, then says "How are your medical supplies? If we have any hope of surviving this invasion as well as healing those who will be injured after, we'll need to have a full supply."

"If you want, I can show you where we're keeping our medical supplies at" offered Kurenai.

"That'll have to wait a moment" said Sarutobi. "There's something more pressing I'll need Tsunade to do first."

"Shizune, you and Sakura go with her and check on our medical supplies. You'll both know what I expect" said Tsunade. "Also, I want someone to have all active shinobi to stop by and receive some emergency supplies to be used in case of emergency while on the battlefield."

"I'll get the word out" offers Asuma.

"Thank you" said Tsunade. She then looks at Sarutobi and ask "So what do you need me to help with?"

"We need you to open Sen-heart for us" replied Sarutobi.

He then looks at Jiraiya and says "Can you go around the village and place some special seal traps that can help our defenses should the enemy manage to breach the outer barriers?"

"I was thinking of that very same thing, myself. And seeing as it's Orochimaru we're dealing with, I say the chances of the outer barriers being breached is a certainty here" said Jiraiya.

Sarutobi then looks at Kakashi and says "Kakashi, before you get back to your inspection. I'd like for you to go fill Naruto in on what's going on. Also, give him his battle gear too."

"Understood" said Kakashi.

"Now, if there's nothing else, lets get to work" said Sarutobi as he he stands and walks around his desk.

"Kakashi, walk with me a moment so I can talk to you about a few things" said Jiraiya as they all exit the room.

**(twenty five minutes later)**

_'I guess grocery shopping is out of the question now'_ thinks Naruto as he looks inside his refrigerator, what with everything that was going on.

A sound from behind him has him looking back, realizing that it was Moegi who was currently sleeping in his bed. He smiles a little as he walks over and leans down; placing a hand on her head.

A sudden knock at his door draws his attention away. "Come in" he says as he stand up.

Kakashi enters the room, saying "Welcome home, Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei, I was hoping you'd stop by" said Naruto, happy to see his sensei again.

"And I'm glad to see you're fine too. When you didn't show up with Jiraiya at lord Hokage's office, I was a little worried" said Kakashi.

"Yeah, sorry about that" said Naruto before looking at Moegi. "I felt she could use a more comforting place to sleep than against my back."

"I know. Jiraiya filled me in on what happened" said Kakashi as he leans up against the wall. "I heard what happened in Takeihama and I'm proud of you. You saved the entire village from a Makian, a powerful one from what I hear."

Naruto shakes his head, then says "It was a group effort. I doubt I could have done it alone. By the way, what's going on here anyways? Have we been attacked? And what are you holding, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi tosses the items to Naruto, then says "Put these on while I explain."

"What are these?" asked Naruto.

"Konoha battle gear. Given what's going on, having as much protection as possible on you can be a life savior" said Kakashi.

Naruto nods, then begins to strip as Kakashi says "While you were gone, we discovered Orochimaru had gotten to one of our shinobi; turning him into a sleeper agent who would send sensitive data, like our current location, to Orochimaru and not even know he was doing it. Luckily, we discovered this and broke the brainwashing on said shinobi. But, we also know that Orochimaru knows we're here and just where Senhana is."

"But how can we be sure he's gonna attack now? If he's known how to find us for a while, then why hasn't he done so before?" asked Naruto.

"We don't know why he's refrained from attacking sooner. But due to a warning given to us recently by a woman known as elder Mada, we know he will attack soon. And over the last week, we have gotten the sense that the attack will come soon" said Kakashi.

"Can we defeat him?" asked Naruto as he begins to put the battle gear on.

"If it were just Orochimaru alone, then I'd say yes. Seeing as we have lord Hokage, Jiraiya, and Tsunade here along with our own ninja force, even Orochimaru would be hard pressed to achieve a victory. But I'm sure he knows this. And I doubt he's just attack us without a plan. And the fact we have no idea on what he could have planned is enough to make us all cautious" said Kakashi.

As Naruto begins putting the guard vest on, Kakashi walks up Naruto's bed and looks at Moegi. _'So young. To think she's had to endure such suffering'_ thinks Kakashi, remembering what Jiraiya had told him about her. _'Wait a minute, is she...?'_

As Naruto turns to ask Kakashi if he was dressed right, he sees Kakashi pulling a photo out from his jonin vest, then looks at Moegi then at it. "Kakashi-sensei, what is it?" ask Naruto as he walks over.

"Naruto, tell me what you see in this picture?" asked Kakashi as he hands the picture to Naruto.

Naruto looks at it, then says "Isn't this the picture that taken from Zabuza's thing's before he and Haku were cremated?"

Kakashi nods, then says "Zabuza with what I believe is his wife and child. Take a close look at the woman and tell me what you see."

"OK?" said a confused Naruto as he does as he was told. "Wait, that can't be right. She looks like..."

"Like an older version on this girl" finished Kakashi, looking at Moegi. "I can't be certain, but I think Moegi could be Zabuza's daughter. Her age, according to Tsunade's guess, would be about right."

"I can't believe it" said Naruto, looking at Moegi. "If it's true, then its a good thing she got her mothers looks. Do you think she could have a connection with Haku too? After all, granny Tsunade did say she had a blood limit."

"It would explain a lot about why Zabuza took Haku in; saving a member of the clan his wife came from" said Kakashi.

After a few moments of silence, Naruto says "She can't stay here."

"What do you mean?" asked Kakashi.

"I'm sure pervy sage told you about her seal" said Naruto, getting a nod from Kakashi. "If a battle does happen, then having her down in the bunkers with the others won't be enough. If she senses the conflict, it could trigger an episode and she could put everyone in danger."

"You may be right. So, what do you plan on doing?" asked Kakashi.

Naruto thinks on this a moment, then says "I'll take her to the Ama Temple; to Hinata. She'll be safe there till the fighting's over."

"Are you sure? What if she has an episode there while you're gone?" asked Kakashi.

"I don't think she will. Its peaceful there; nothing to trigger an episode. But, just to be safe. I can leave a clone there with her; a clone that I'll give enough chakra to so it can sustain itself for a few days" said Naruto.

"I guess that would be the best idea" said Kakashi. "So, when will you take her?"

"As soon as she wakes up. I'll let her rest till then" was the reply.

"Very well. I'll go alert the east sentries to be expecting you. And be careful when you leave, Naruto. We don't know where Orochimaru's forces could be stationed at, if they are nearby at the moment."

Naruto nods, saying "I will, sensei. Just don't get into any trouble till I get back. There's a bunch of stuff I want to talk to you about when this is over. Plus, a few jutsu I learned I want to show you."

"I'll be here, waiting Naruto. And I have a few things I wish to speak with you about as well when you return" said Kakashi. After a final goodbye, Kakashi leaves to get back to his duties.

_'Yeah, I need to talk with Naruto about Jiraiya's offer to undergo sage training. And, I'll finally tell him about what happened while he was taking the Shadow Test.'_

**(outside the village – deep in the western forest)**

A hooded figure quickly made his way through the see of trees till he came upon a small glen where a camp had been set up. There were three tents along one side and four figures who were currently unraveling tons of scrolls onto the ground. The figure recognized the design of the seal centered on the scrolls. It was a summoning seal.

"Halt, who's there" said the large bodied figure, getting the attention of the others who quickly prepare for an attack.

"Relax, it's me" said the figure as he steps forward and pulls his hood back.

"Kabuto, it's you" says Tayuya in surprise.

"We weren't expecting you" adds Kidomaru.

"Seeing as lord Orochimaru is finally going after his former home, I found I honestly couldn't stay safe back home now could I? Where is he anyways?" asked Kabuto.

Sakon points to the largest of the three tents, saying "Where do you think?"

Kabuto sighs and shakes his head over the fact Orochimaru's top men where these four. In all honesty, he wondered if they had any real value to them at all beyond the simple fact they had adapted to the curse mark more easily than any other save for one person.

Kabuto steps into the tent and quickly sees Orochimaru next to the far table, likely going over a map made of the area to determine where the best places to strike Senhana at. "Lord Orochimaru, I see the day has finally arrived."

"Hm...Kabuto, this is a surprise" said Orochimaru as he looks back at his confidant. He then returns his attention to his map then says "Why are you here?"

"I came to offer my assistance in this venture. After all, I can't let the fate of your success ride on the skills of those four" says Kabuto, looking back to the entrance of the tent, indicating who he was talking about.

"So, you doubt my abilities then?" asked Orochimaru, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Never, sir. But if this was something you could do alone, you would have done it years ago. And given the fact both Jiraiya and Tsunade are there now, you'll need someone you can really count on to be present on the battlefield." said Kabuto.

"True enough" said Orochimaru before turn back to Kabuto and walking towards him. "But won't you be missed in Kiri while aiding me? And given your presence at the Shadow Test, aren't you worried those three genin will recognize you if they see you?"

Kabuto smiles, saying "I won't be missed. I left a substitute back in Kiri to handle my affairs while I'm gone. I've done this several times in fact and no one has ever caught on. As for recognition by Naruto, Ino, or Shikamaru? So what if they do? That would leave them to believe Kiri has allied themselves with you and thus ignite a possible war between Konoha and Kiri should things go sour for us."

Orochimaru smiles, saying "An interesting back up plan should things not go as plan. Perfect, Kabuto."

"But just to be on the safe side, I'll wear a mask during the invasion. If if looks like we will have to withdrawal before we can achieve victory, then I'll seek out my three friends from the Shadow Test and...let them see me" adds Kabuto.

"Your deviousness rivals my own, Kabuto" says Orochimaru.

After a moment, Kabuto ask "So, where is Kimimaro?"

"I'm here, lord Kabuto" comes a weak voice from a side of the tent that was draped to conceal its occupant. Walking around the drapes, Kabuto sees Kimimaro laying on a bed, a tube connected to his arm that was feeding medicine into him.

"So, you came as well, despite your weakened condition" said Kabuto as he looks Kimimaro over.

"Like you, I couldn't just stay back and depend on those four to help lord Orochimaru succeed" says Kimimaro.

"But in your condition, you won't be able to do much" says Kabuto before reaching into his pack and pulls out several phials containing liquids of various colors.

"What is that?" asked Orochimaru.

"The ingredients to a new medicinal concoction I came up with recently. I'll need a few hours to get it ready. But when its finished, it'll allow Kimimaro to join in the battle at full strength...for a while at least" said Kabuto.

"How long?" asked Kimimaro.

"At best, three hours. But I can say this with certainty. It will work and you'll know when its about to wear off" said Kabuto.

"Then get to work then. You have until sunrise to get it ready" said Orochimaru before returning to his map. Kabuto follows him and ask "You're giving them a final night of peace and even a short sunrise before attacking? That's rather kind of you."

Orochimaru grins, saying "Not at all. The knowledge that an attack is coming will keep them from having any true peace. And besides, there are a few more...guest who will be joining the party. And they won't be here till dawn. So, until they arrive, we will wait."

_'Guest? Just who else would be coming?'_ wondered Kabuto, seeing as everyone loyal to Orochimaru was already here.

**Next time: promise to the princess...the battle begins...the snakes secret**


	48. 48 Eight Faced 2

**AN: **The next chapter of **Rave Master Naruto** will be up Sunday.

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.48: Eight Faced 2 – Dawn Shattered**

Deep beneath Senhana, there was a place; a chamber that few had ever had the privilege to have entered. A sacred chamber where one could commune with the spirit of Senhana fully and without interference. This place is Sen-heart, the very core of Senhana itself.

"How long has it been since I stood before this barrier?" wondered Tsunade aloud as she placed her hand against the wooden form, its warmth passing through her from the touch.

"I've always wondered" said Yamato, getting her attention. "It looks like wood, but it feels more organic than wood; like a mixture of skin and warm water. Is that normal?"

"You'll understand when we go inside" replied Tsunade.

"So, you have been in here before" inquired Sarutobi.

"Just once, along with my grandfather and brother" said Tsunade before pulling out a kunai and tracing it deep over the palm of her hand, drawing blood. "Yamato, hold your right hand out and shift it into wood" she instructed.

Yamato does as he's told and Tsunade allows her blood to fall onto the wood hand. "It will take a combination of my blood and your wood to open the door. Allow your Mokuton to absorb my blood, then mesh the wood with the door. It should open for us then."

"Understood" said Yamato, doing as she instructs. Once Tsunade had given him enough blood, she retracts her hand and begins healing the cut while Yamato extends his wooden hand to the door, allowing the two to merge.

For a second, nothing happens. Then, runes begins to appear upon the door as shafts of light begin to pierce through. A light rumbling follows as the door recedes, revealing the inner chambers of Sen-heart.

As they step in, both Yamato and Sarutobi's eyes go wide at what the see before them. "Oh my" says Sarutobi awe struck while Yamato says "I never imagined...beautiful..."

The chamber was a sphere, partially filled with a emerald green liquid that was glowing. There was a small path of vines that stretched out into the center of the sphere, forming a circle. And at the top of the sphere, a large seed that resembled a crystal could be seen; the source of all the trees that made up Senhana; the Sen-heart.

"What ever you do, do not touch the liquid" instructs Tsunade as she walks forward. "It's nature energy in a pure, liquified form. Unless you're a senjutsu master, even just a glancing touch will turn you into a plant here, never again to exist as a human in both body and mind."

Once they were gathered around the central circle, Yamato ask "So, what do I do?"

Tsunade smiles and says "You already know what to do. Call forth your Mokuton and it will do the rest."

Trusting her words, Yamato does as he's told. He kneels down and presses his hands against the ground. Immediately, fines begin to grow before him, taking the shape of a chair. Understanding what to do, Yamato sits in the chair, which then shifts back, aiming his line of sight up at the great seed. Two more sets of vines extend out from the walls, wrapping around and merging with his outstretched hands. Yamato's face gets a serene calm look upon it as his eyes close and he enters the trance state.

"It has begun" said Tsunade.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Sarutobi.

"We head back up and prepare for the attack" replied Tsunade as she turns back towards the exit.

"But what about Yamato? Will he be OK here by himself? And what of food and drink?"

"His body will be nurtured and hydrated like a plant while he's connected like this. He'll be fine."

Once they had exited the room, the door seals itself tight. "How long will it take before Senhana awakens?" asked Sarutobi.

"She's been asleep for along time. If it were grandpa or even my brother, then before sunrise. But with Yamato, I can't be sure of anything. I can't even be sure if he can awaken her. For now, the best thing we can do is hope he can...and try not to need him to succeed in order for us to survive" said Tsunade.

**(the next morning, before sunrise – Temple of Ama)**

"_I'm really glad I met you, Hinata" said Naruto as he wraps his hands around her waist._

_Hinata blushes as she turns to look at Naruto. "Hinata, will you become my wife?"_

"_Naruto" gasp out Hinata, wondering if she had heard him right._

_Naruto gives her a smile, letting her know he had asked her that and was serious. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes; I'll marry you, Naruto."_

_Naruto whoops happily as he lifts her up and spins her around, Hinata giggling as he does so. The next thing she knows, she's laying on her back upon the ground with Naruto over her. He leans in and they kiss each other with all the passion their love could allow for them to express._

_As their lips part, Hinata knew she was ready. "Naruto, love me."_

"_As you wish, Hinata..." says Naruto as he begins to undress her._

Hinata's arms and legs move wildly in her sleep, her cheeks a mad pink color. "Ah...Naruto, more..." she begs as her incredibly adult dream gets even more steamy.

Suddenly, the door to her room flies open as Tenten says in a loud voice "Hinata, Naruto's here."

CRASH! The sound of Tenten's voice was so strong, that Hinata is awoken immediately. And do to the current position she was in, she's sent falling from her bed, hitting the ground hard. "Ow, that hurt" cried Hinata as she rubs her sore face as tears fill her eyes.

"Hey Hinata, are you OK?" asked Tenten.

"Yeah, I'm fine. No thinks to you" grumbles Hinata. _'Just a dream. Damn it, and it was just getting to the best parts too.' _Then Tenten's words from a few moments ago finally click with Hinata's brain. "Wait, did you just say Naruto's here?"

"That's right...and he's with a girl too" adds Tenten, smiling a little bit.

"What?" shouts Hinata who quickly jumps to her feet and grabs some robes to cover her night gown.

"But never mind that. Tell me about the obviously HOT dream you were having when I came in. Was Naruto popping some cherries or what?" asked Tenten, allowing her perverted side to emerge.

"OOO, go find a boyfriend" shouts Hinata in annoyance as she pushes past Tenten and runs towards the entrance hall.

"Why, when your would be guy is still ripe for the picking" throws back Tenten before she follows.

After racing through the halls the across the large entry room to the front doors, Hinata comes to a stop and takes a moment to catch her breath so she could talk to Naruto without needing to take any deep breaths after every other word. She could hear Sakuya's voice coming from outside, talking to Naruto.

Finally ready, Hinata opens the door and hears Sakuya say "I understand. She's more than welcome to stay here with us for the next few days."

"Thank you" said Naruto, bowing before Sakuya.

"Naruto, what's going on?" asked Hinata as she walks up, getting both his and Sakuya's attention.

"Hinata?" said Naruto, looking at her. He sees her wearing some robes and says "Hope I didn't wake you."

Hinata shakes her head and says "It's alright. I'm just glad to see you made it back from Antana unhurt. You are unhurt, right Naruto?"

Naruto smiles and says "Who, me? Nah, nothing I can't handle. You?"

"Um...same as you. Just spending time learning various healing arts and other things a priestess would need to know. Anyways, what brings you here so early in the morning, Naruto?" she asked, secretly hoping he might say it was to see her. "Tenten said you were with a girl?"

"Yeah, I am" said Naruto before moving a little to his left, revealing the smaller girl who had been hiding behind him up till now. "This is my sister, Moegi."

"SISTER?" shouts Hinata, surprised. "You have a sister, Naruto? Why didn't you tell me sooner."

Naruto scratches his head and chuckles nervously. "Ye-ah, that's...kind of a long story." His tone then becomes more serious and says "The story behind me having a sister, as well as what happened to me and Pervy Sage when we were in Antana, is gonna have to wait till next time."

Catching the change in his tone, Hinata becomes worried and ask "What's wrong, Naruto? Has something happened?"

"Take a look at his clothes, Hinata. Doesn't something seem off to you?" asked Tenten as she walks out of the temple to join them.

Hinata looks at her, then back at Naruto and takes a moment to really look him over. She then realizes that he was wearing a vest line with pockets and he had clothes that had an almost armor like quality to it. Seeing this was making her more worried.

"Konoha's in danger of being attacked. A former shinobi turned rouge is coming back; his attention is to wipe the village out. Because of this, all ninja of Konoha are to be prepared for what's sure to be a potentially deadly battle" said Naruto.

"Naruto's sister, according to him, may possess sensory type skills and is very sensitive to violent acts and actions. He's afraid that being kept in the underground bunkers along with the other civilians won't be enough to keep her calm. Thus leading her to have an "episode" and possibly hurt the other civilians around her" adds Sakuya.

"I don't understand. What kind of episode could she suffer?" asked Hinata.

Naruto hesitated in his answer as he hadn't told Sakuya the truth. In fact, he had visited Kurenai before leaving and she had written the letter Naruto had given to Sakuya with the cover story, knowing Sakuya wouldn't question her words on this matter.

"It's enough to know being close to the battles could cause her to suffer an episode, especially if Naruto isn't there to help calm her down" explained Sakuya, who had been told via Kurenai's letter that Moegi had been abused and mistreated before being found by Naruto, who she seemed to have developed to bond with, thus making him the only person she trusted. "So I've agreed to let her stay here till the battle for Konoha is concluded and Naruto can return to get her."

"Also, will it be OK if I leave a Shadow Clone here with her, so she won't get nervous due to the real me not being here?" asked Naruto.

"I'm fine with that. But will she be?" asked Sakuya.

Naruto's response is to create his clone. He then turns to Moegi and leans down so he can look her in the eyes. "Moegi, do you remember what I told you while we were on the way here?"

Moegi nods, then says "Na-ru-to...fight...bad men. Needs me...stay here."

"Yeah, I have to beat some bad men. But I'll come back and get you soon, I promise. But I'll be leaving this clone here with you. Will that be OK?"

Moegi hesitates for a moment, but the nods as she understands why he needed to leave. But she hugs him tight, saying "Miss you, bro...ther."

"Yeah, I'll miss you too, little sister" says Naruto as he breaks the hug, then kisses her forehead before saying "I'll be back soon. Believe it."

Naruto then has Moegi takes the clones hand, who then walks up to Sakuya who says "I'll show you to where you'll be staying." As she and Moegi and the Naruto clone reach the door, she looks back at the real Naruto and says "Tell Kurenai to be careful for me, will you?"

"Will do, miss Sakuya" said Naruto, who had learned recently that Kurenai had spent some time with the Order of Ama.

"And take care of yourself too" she adds before entering the temple.

"Naruto" says Hinata, getting his attention back onto her.

"Yeah, HinaOOMPH" says Naruto, oomphing as Hinata collides with him; wrapping him in a fierce hug.

"Please, be careful. Naruto. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you" says Hinata, a tear escaping her eye.

Naruto hugs her back and says "I will. I'll be back soon, then we can talk about a lot of things."

"Ahem, do I need to show you two to a special room?" asked Tenten, breaking them from the moment.

Naruto and Hinata break apart, both blushing. Then Hinata leans forward and kisses Naruto cheek and says "For luck", then turns and enters the temple.

"I guess not" sighs Tenten, hoping to see a little hanky panky. "Well, whiskers. Good luck out there."

"Hey Tenten, can I ask you a question?" asked Naruto as she goes to head back into the temple herself.

Looking back at him, she says "Sure, what is it?"

Naruto takes a moment to think on how he should ask her this. "While me and Pervy Sage were in Antana. More specifically, in Chin-Xi; we learned something important."

Tenten's eyes narrow, her hands subconsciously reaching into her pocket to grasp the handle of her favorite dagger. "Yeah, like what?" she asked, her voice a little more serious than normal.

"Well..." Naruto starts to say, but hesitates. "OK, I'll just come out and ask you. Tenten, are you the lost Chin-Xi princess? Are you Mae?"

The next thing Naruto knows, he's on his back with Tenten sitting atop him; a dagger blade pressed dangerously against his throat. "I'll take that as a yes."

Tenten realizes her error in that she had acted without even thinking. "Damn it" she curses as she gets up off Naruto, allowing him to get up.

As he brushes himself off, he ask "So, are quick reflexes like that standard issue for priestess's or was that from your time as an imperial princess?"

"How did you find out?" was her reply, ignoring her question and deciding it was to late to deny her heritage seeing she had nearly beheaded him.

"While we were there, we found ourselves being taken hostage by members of the Underground, one of several resistance cells fighting against the false emperor, Danzo. They had a lot of the imperial families treasured possessions stored in their base for safety and you look like an older version of the girl in a painting master Choza said was the imperial family and the princess was named Mae."

"Master Choza's alive?" asked Tenten, getting a nod from Naruto. She sighs in relief as she places a hand over her heart and says "I'm glad to here that. I've been worried about him. What about the others? Have they heard anything about Han?"

"Han? Sorry, I don't remember hearing anything about a Han. As for anyone else who's a Djinn. I heard some were dead and the rest were leading the other resistances movements. But I never got any names to be more specific. I'm sorry" said Naruto.

"Don't be. I'm just glad to know some of them are still alive at least" said Tenten before she realizes something. "Naruto, you didn't tell them about me? Did you?"

Naruto hears the worry in her tone and says "I wasn't sure if you were Mae or not. Just because you looked like the girl in the painting didn't mean you were. The last thing I wanted to do was give them false hope."

"Yeah, good thinking. Thanks for not telling them" says Tenten.

"But why not? Tenten, your the princess of Chin-Xi. They can't make a move to restore order without you there. And that Danzo guy; from what I hear, he's been doing some bad things behind the backs of the people. There's even a fear he could start a war with Iroh here soon" said Naruto.

"I...sorry, That doesn't concern me now. That life...is no longer mine" said Tenten sadly, looking away.

"But..." Naruto starts to say, but Tenten cuts in and shouts "I can't go back there. I...after what happened, after what I saw. I can't...I just can't..."

Naruto remembers what Choza had told them about the royal family when he had asked him about the painting. Mae...Tenten had seen her mother and brother killed right before her eyes. And given how young she had been, it had obviously been very traumatic. It was no wonder she might not want to go back to the world, a world that had brought about such horror.

"I understand. I won't try to convince you otherwise" said Naruto as he turns away. "But, can you honestly say you're OK with things like this? To let that man who had your family killed ruling your kingdom?"

As Tenten looks at him, he turns back and says "If a day comes you ever decide to go back and face him; return to reclaim what is yours. Know I'll be there to help you."

"Naruto..." says Tenten.

Naruto smiles and says "When your ready, just let me know. And I'll be there." And with that, he heads off on his long journey back to Senhana.

Tenten remains outside for a few minutes, her eyes glued on the direction Naruto had left at before turning back and entering the temple. She makes her way to her room and locks the door before pulling out a picture of her family. Sitting on her bed and reflecting on Naruto's words, she mentally ask _'Mom, dad, brother, what should I do? What would you do if you were still alive?'_

**(Orochimaru's camp)**

"The sun's starting to rise" says Kabuto as he takes a moment to look outside the tent. He then steps back inside and grabs the completed medication from the table and heads over to Kimimaro's bed.

"Here's the special medicine. Just remember that it will only last for three hours at best and once you feel it starting to wear off, return here immediately" instructs Kabuto.

"Understood...and thank you, lord Kabuto" says Kimimaro as he goes to take the medicine, but Kabuto stops him.

"Let me be your support till the battle starts. No point in wasting precious minutes just waiting for the battle to start" said Kabuto before placing an arm around Kimimaro and help him up off the bed, then helps him to exit the tent.

The Sound Four were standing next to the tent while Orochimaru looks upon the ground that was now covered with dozens of scrolls. Orochimaru looks back at his gathered army of loyal followers and says "It's almost time. Now, lets bring forth our minions to do the dirty work."

He then makes several hand signs, saying "Reverse Summoning." The seals on each scroll light up and all the scroll burst into smoke, leaving large cages on the ground in their place. Within each cage was one of three types of creature.

Kabuto looks the the caged beast and says "So, this was what you did with all those criminals you coaxed into joining you."

"I offered them great power. I never said that power wouldn't come without some sacrifice" said Orochimaru.

Kabuto smiles and says "Great power in exchange for their minds and free will. A worthy trade off for the less desirable in our world."

"Just how many of these beast are there?" asked Tayuya.

"300 total; 100 for each of the three types. As part of my long term final plan, I decided to see if it was possible to combine human and Makian DNA together to create a hybrid beast. My unexpected trip into the Makai Realm along with those genin during the Shadow Test proved fruitful as it allowed me to gain the needed materials to create the three types we have her before us."

Orochimaru then approaches the cages and says "First, we have the Feral. These Hybrid resemble wolves, with spiny backs and tails that either have a blade or a club protruding from the end. They also can run as fast as a cheetah."

He walks over to another cage and says "Next, we have the Brutes. Of the three, they are the most humanoid in appearance. Their skin is like armor and the crater like openings on them can emit high levels of chakra that can give them a brief power or speed burst (think Jugo's stage two form fused with the Incredible Hulks body)."

"And last we have the Raptors. These birds of prey, though not physically strong, can swoop in and slice an opponent in half with their wings, impale them with its beak, or tear them apart with their claws. All together, and with all of you as well, we shall see Konoha burn before the day is done" says Orochimaru, his confidence evident in his voice.

"So, do we strike now?" asked Sakon.

"We can't until they have arrived" said Kimimaro.

"And they have" said Orochimaru as several figures suddenly emerge from the sea of trees surrounding them.

Kabuto's eyes go wide with shock as he sees the hooded figures walking up to Orochimaru. He had guess that they were the ones coming, but to see them in person was...

"The Order of the White Snake. They were the allies you spoke of?" asked Kabuto.

Orochimaru looks back at him and says "That is correct. Who else would I have been willing to wait on?"

_'Then why do we need the Hybrid then?'_ wondered Kabuto. He knew of the Orders power, knew what they were capable of. They alone could have made the victory here assured. Add the Order of the White Snake on top of the Sound Four, Kimimaro, himself, Orochimaru, and the three hundred Hybrid that had been summoned, Kabuto now knew this battle was going to be bloody.

It was going to be a massacre of genocidal proportions.

"It's time" says Orochimaru as he makes several hand signs that causes the cages containing the Hybrid to open. "Time to give Konoha a proper wake up call."

**(Senhana)**

A sudden rush of chakra, a massive amount of chakra, came over Seishin, Konoha's most skilled sensor type ninja. He opens his eyes and jumps to his feet and leaps down from Crows Nest, Senhana's highest vantage post that was used to either look into the sky or observe the distant areas, and rushes into the Hokage's office, which was just below the watch.

Running into the room, he shouts "Lord Hokage, unknown chakra coming towards us from the west."

Getting up from his chair, Sarutobi ask "How large?"

"In the hundreds, lord Hokage" replied Seishin.

Sarutobi turns to his advisers, Homura, and Koharu, and says "It's time; we need to raise the chakra barrier now."

Tsunade, who was also in the room, says at the same time to Seishin "Go alert the other unit commanders. Have all shinobi tale up battle positions and have the civilians make for the bunkers immediately."

Seishin disappears to carry out his orders while Sarutobi, Homura, and Koharu make several hand signs, then claps their hands together, causing a pulse of chakra to burst out over the whole of the village. "I'll go and accelerate the civilian move myself" says Tsunade before she exits the room.

Along the western barricade, Asuma and the other gathered ninja see the Feral racing across the water at top speed and the Raptors flying through the air. "What are those things?" asked one shinobi while another says "So many...this is bad."

"Stay strong, men" orders Asuma as he grips his chakra blades.

He notices the barriers forming to add to their defenses and hopes it will hold. The first run of Feral jump up, attempting to leap over the wooden barriers, and slam into the near invisible chakra barrier, knocking them back into the water. The Raptors also attempt to fly in but are also repelled as well.

_'Good work, pops'_ thinks Asuma as he sighs in relief. He then raises his voice and says "Men, our attacks should still be able to pass through the barriers. Take aim with your arrows and start taking those things out."

The ninja nod as they grab onto the bows strapped to their backs and start firing arrows laced with chakra at both the Feral and the Raptors. Though it take several hits to kill any one of each, they begin to whittle the numbers done slowly.

"Hopefully, lord Hokage will be able to keep this barrier up for a while" thinks Asuma, though he doubts Orochimaru was just going to sit back and let them wipe out his forces before they could kill anyone in Senhana.

**(along the western shore)**

"That's cheating" shouts Kidomaru, seeing the first wave of Hybrids being slowly wiped out.

Kabuto looks at Orochimaru and says "So, how do you plan on getting around the barrier?"

Orochimaru smiles, then says "I had a feeling Sarutobi-sensei and those old crones he has as advisers would do this. Heh heh, well then. I guess I'll just have to give another experiment of mine a test run."

As if on cue, the gathered members of the Order of the White Snake make several hand signs, then place their hands upon the ground and make a seal, pulsing in dark purple chakra, appear upon the ground. Orochimaru approaches the seal and makes the same hand signs.

"Come forth and open the path to my destiny, mighty Ouroboros" shouts Orochimaru as he places his hands upon the seal, causing it to explode with chakra,

Kabuto, Kimimaro, and the Sound Four back away as the ground begins to quake violently and something very large begins to emerge from the circle being made by Orochimaru and his allies. "A white snake?" asked Tayuya.

"One bigger than the trees" adds Sakon.

"That is Lord Orochimaru's most powerful creation. The Yin/Yang serpent; Ouroboros" says Kimimaro in awe, having never seen it outside its liquid filled tank before.

"You've completed it?" asked Kabuto.

Orochimaru looks back and says "Not yet. But this will allow me to get an idea what still needs to be done in order to bring it to its full completion as my anti-Biju life form."

Orochimaru then looks up at the large white and black scaled snake and says "Ouroboros, destroy the barrier protecting Senhana."

**(Senhana)**

"Asuma, are things going OK?" asked Jiraiya as he comes to a stop beside said ninja.

"Yeah, the beast keep trying to pierce the barriers and keep failing, allowing us to take them out. So far, I've counted at least forty of the fliers having been killed and twenty eight of the wolf like beast" replied Asuma.

A sudden, loud hiss/roar sound catches their attention. "Asuma..." shouts one of the ninja.

Looking towards the lake shore, both Asuma and Jiraiya pale at what they see. The Ouroboros slithers onto the bank of the shore and gives off another hiss/roar before a cobra hood like growth opens up around the head of the snake. It then opens its mouth and a ball of pitch black chakra begins to form.

"What is that?" shouts a ninja.

"It can't be..." says Asuma.

"Biju Dhama" says Jiraiya before shouting out "Men, brace for impact."

The Ouroboros fires the Biju Dhama at the barrier; the mass of negative chakra slamming into the barrier and for a moment, the barrier holds. Then, the Dhama burst apart which causes the chakra barrier to shatter as if it was a thing sheet of glass.

"Everyone, the barrier dowAAARRRGGGHHH" shouts a ninja as a Feral jumps over the wooden barricade and bites into his neck, killing him as he falls back. The other ninja drop their bows and grab their kunai and swords as more Feral come jumping in at them while the remaining Raptors start to fly through Senhana, launching their own attacks.

In other areas, the Brutes come rushing in and slam their fist into the wooden barriers, shattering them to allow them and the other Feral to start rushing into the village. Within moments, Senhana has become a battlefield.

"What happened to the barrier?" wondered Homura as the three aged shinobi step outside the Hokage's office.

"Something powerful slammed into the barrier" replied Koharu.

"It doesn't matter. Right now, we need to get out there and join the battle" says Sarutobi, getting a nod from his fellow seniors. They then jump off in different directions to start doing their duties.

**(western shore)**

"Men, move out and join the slaughter" orders Orochimaru.

The Sound Four nod before racing onto the water and heading to Senhana. "Lord Orochimaru, Ouroboros is..." says Kabuto as he notices the Yin/Yang Snake fading away.

"It expanded all its chakra on that one Biju Dhama, so its returning to its containment tank to recharge. And it seems its Dhama is still severely under powered as well. Well, at least I know what needs to be worked on now" was Orochimaru's reply.

After a moment, Orochimaru looks at the Order and gives them a knowing nod. They nod back before racing off. He then looks at Kabuto and Kimimaro and says "Lets go or we'll miss all the fun."

"My lord" says Kimimaro as he drinks down the potion, feeling it take effect immediately. He then steps away from Kabuto and heads off into Senhana.

As Kabuto starts to place his mask on, he ask "So, is the Order not helping us with the fighting after all?"

"Oh, they will be fighting. But before that, they're going to set up a special place for me and Sarutobi-sensei to have are long awaited reunion. Let's go, Kabuto."

As Orochimaru and Kabuto head towards Senhana, Orochimaru licks his lips in anticipation while thinking _'I'll find you soon, sensei. Then, we can have some long over do quality time together again.'_

**next time: Order of the White Snake; revealed...Re-generator...unexpected allies**


	49. 49 Eight Faced 3

**Naruto Invoke Overdrive**

**chpt.49: Eight Faced 3 – Yamata no Orochi**

"Take this" shouts Tsunade as she sends her fist slamming into the chest of a Brute, the force of the impact leaving a deep crater in the body of the Hybrid. He creature coughs up blood as its body spasm's violently, then collapses onto the ground.

A roar of a Feral from behind her has her spinning around, but the beast is faster as it aims to take her down before she can get react to defend herself. "Lightning Blade" comes Kakashi before bursting forward, a blur of motion as his hands crackles with chakra, slicing into the body of the Feral and cutting it in half.

Kakashi then targets several other Feral that other shinobi are facing and take them out, thinning the numbers. Tsunade then sees another Brute coming at her, its fist raised to crush her. She replies by catching his attack, then smirking while saying "Let me show you how its down." She then leaps up, and smash's her fist down, crushing the Brutes skull from the power of her blow.

"Tsunade, Kakashi, how are things going here?" comes Sarutobi as he comes down from higher up to join them.

"We've killed about a dozen of the four legged ones and eight of the humanoid ones. We haven't seen any of the fliers yet though" says Tsunade.

"Probably due to how dense the trees are around here" adds Kakashi as he finishes off the last of the Feral.

"Very well then. Let's keep the momentum up and go help the other groups" orders Sarutobi, getting a cheer from the other present shinobi who scatter outwards to look for others in need. "Wait" says Sarutobi suddenly, stopping Tsunade and Kakashi from heading out either.

"What is it, lord Hokage?" asked Kakashi.

"Tsunade, you can feel it too?" asked Sarutobi as he turns his attention to eleven o'clock.

"Yeah, he's here" said Tsunade as she also looks in the same direction.

"I see you both still can sense when I'm close. I'm touched" says Orochimaru as he steps out into the open.

Tsunade glares up at him, then says "So, you finally decided to show yourself."

"I figured why make any of you wait. After all, anticipation can be such a bitch" notes Orochimaru.

"Your orders, lord Hokage?" asked Kakashi.

"Trust your instincts and don't let your guard down" was the reply.

"Now, if we only had Jiraiya here with us. Then this reunion would be complete" says Orochimaru.

"He'll just have to deal then" says Sarutobi before making a hand sign, then unleashes a fire ball at Orochimaru, who jumps clear of the flame.

Tsunade then slams her fist into the ground, forcing a massive rock to burst upwards, which she then punches, turning it into a projectile that goes flying at the airborne Orochimaru. Meanwhile, Sarutobi uses a water jutsu to put out the flames created by his fire ball to keep the trees from catching fire.

"So predictable" says Orochimaru, spiting out a liquidic acid, melting a large hole for him to safely pass through.

"Exactly" says Sarutobi as Kakashi meets Orochimaru mid way through his hole and plants a Lightning Blade right into his gut.

"Did we get him?" wonders Tsunade.

Puff; Orochimaru burst into smoke. "A Shadow Clone" says Kakashi as he begins to descend back to the ground. Twisting his body around, his eyes catches sight of something. "Lord Hokage, behind you."

Sarutobi spins around just as the ground behind him burst open and Orochimaru comes flying out and wraps Sarutobi into a fierce hug before propelling the both of them forward.

"Damn you" shouts Tsunade as she chases after Orochimaru.

But another figure, draped in a red cloak and a snake mask appears before her, delivering a strong kick to throws Tsunade back. Kakashi just barely manages to catch her before she can slam into the ground.

"Sorry, but lord Orochimaru wishes to have a private moment with his former sensei. But worry not, lady Tsunade. He'll make time for both you and master Jiraiya soon enough" says Kabuto behind the mask.

"Get out of our way" orders Tsunade.

"Make me" retorts Kabuto. He had always wanted to take on a Sanin and it looks like he was finally getting his chance.

**(elsewhere)**

"That makes five" says Ino proudly as she looks at the Raptor she had just downed. She then looks over at Sakura and ask "So, how many do you have?"

"CHA!" shouts Sakura, having dodged an attack by a Feral, then slamming her fist into its back, shattering its back bone. Though her attacks were a long way off from being on par with Tsunade's, she was still pretty devastating with her attacks.

"That's number six. I'm winning" says Sakura as she looks at Ino and gives her the V for victory. This makes Ino fume with jealousy.

"Now, now, girls. This isn't a competition. We need to be serious here" points out Kurenai.

"We know, we know" they both say together.

"Besides, I'm at nine myself" adds Kurenai, unable to repress a smirk.

"And you're scolding us" both Ino and Sakura shout together.

Before Kurenai can respond, the sound of music fills the air. "What is that?" ask Sakura as she look around. "It sounds like a flute" points out Ino.

After a moment, the scenery around them begins to shift and distort. "Girls, be careful. It's a genjutsu" says Kurenai. "Hold on; I'll dispel it" she adds as she starts to make some hand signs.

""I'll do it" says Sakura as she makes her own set of hand signs, then shouts "Release."

Immediately, the area returns to normal as Kurenai looks at Sakura with surprise and wonder. "That was pretty impressive."

"Lady Tsunade told me I have excellent chakra control. Something like casting or dispelling genjutsu is cake walk for me" boast Sakura proudly. _'Although, my chakra levels leave a lot to be desired' _she mentally adds.

Sakura then looks at Ino, seeing her surprised reaction and says "Better watch out or I might steal your sensei away from you." She was joking, of course. But still, the rivalry she felt with Ino demanded her to say that.

"Don't count on it. I just so happen to be a sensory type, so I know you're chakra levels are below average. Besides, why would Kurenai-sensei want to train a forehead like you for, anyways?" retorts Ino.

"How do you...?" Sakura starts to say, but then realizes Ino had brought up her one personal issue with herself. "Who do you think you are, making fun of my forehead. It's just how I style my hair, nothing more...Ino-pig."

"What did you call me?" shouts Ino. Before Kurenai can react, the two girls are butting heads and apparently, have forgotten about the situation at hand.

"What a touching scene" comes a voice above them. The three females look up to see Tayuya looking back down at them. "I can tell you two will become the best of friends one day. Or, you would become best friends if you weren't going to die this day. To bad, huh?"

"And you are?" asked Kurenai as she pulls out a kunai.

"My name isn't important. All you need to know is that I am a loyal servant to lord Orochimaru and I won't stop till I've killed all you Konoha dogs, as is his order" says Tayuya. She then looks at Sakura and says "By the way, congrats on breaking my audio based genjutsu. Not an easy feet, I assure you."

"Be on your guard, girls. She's stronger than she looks" orders Kurenai.

"I'm not worried. After all, if all she has is genjutsu, then you'll be able to handle her, sensei" says Ino.

"Hey, what about me?" ask Sakura.

"Obviously, genjutsu won't work here" says Tayuya, getting their attention. "But I have other uses for my flute than just genjutsu. Observe." She then produces two scrolls, which she allows to roll open. Immediately, the seal on both scrolls activate, creating two massive beast like creature to appear.

"Behold, my twin Golems. The green one is Troll. And the blue one is Ogre. I believe they will provide you with a more suitable challenge than simple genjutsu" says Tayuya before resuming her playing on the flute. The sound of the music causes the eyes of the two Golems to light up and the flex their muscles and roar.

"Be ready, you two. This is about to get ugly" orders Kurenai as the Golems jump down at them.

**(another location)**

"Miss Shizune, just what is that guy?" asked Shikamaru as Jirobo slowly advances towards them. So far, any kunai and shuriken thrown at him had bounced off his body.

"I'd say he was wearing some kind of body armor. But I highly doubt it. More than likely, he's an earth style user and is using some jutsu to make his skin harder" says Shizune.

"Got any ideas, then?" asked Shikamaru.

"A few. What about you? I hear you're pretty smart" says Shizune.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna need a diversion for my idea to work" says Shikamaru.

"Then I'll take care of that" says Shizune before stepping forward, then making a hand sign.

Jirobo comes to a stop as Shizune intakes a deep breath of air. _'What could she be up to?' _he wondered.

Once she was done inhaling, Shizune then breaks into several hand signs, then mentally commands _'Poison Fog' _as she exhales and release a dense blast of purple colored air.

Immediately, Jirobo raises his hands up to guard himself, unable to breath in before he's bombarded by the attack. _'Damn wench' _he growls mentally before making a hand signs and unleashes the only wind style jutsu he had learned, creating a funnel of wind to blast out around him, freeing him from the fog.

"Sorry, but no luck, lady" he says to Shizune. He then realizes the kid with her was missing and he goes to look around, but finds his body unresponsive.

"What is this?" he shouts as he struggles to move.

"Sorry, but you been caught in my Shadow Possession jutsu. You won't be able to move unless it's by my actions" says Shikamaru from behind him and unable to repress a smirk.

"Good work, Shikamaru" says one of the ninja present.

"OK men, attack and take him out" orders Shizune.

The six ninja gather around Jirobo and launch various kunai and shuriken at him. Jirobo's body jerks as its hit by each attack, ultimately collapsing onto his knees from the assault.

"Now, you'll tell us where your boss is" says Shikamaru.

"Why, when I'm still able to fight" comes a voice from behind Shikamaru.

Shikamaru spins around, only to meet a stone fist slam into him; sending him flying. Shizune leaps up and catches him, helping him safely back onto the ground. Meanwhile, several on the other ninja try to attack Jirobo who quickly take them out.

"But how? I thought we got him" wonders Shikamaru as he looks at the downed Jirobo.

Just then, the first Jirobo cracks and breaks apart, turning into dirt and rock. "An earth clone. Pretty convincing one, too" notes Shizune.

Shikamaru sighs, then says "What a drag. I knew this wasn't going to be so easy. So, any ideas now?"

"Find a way to beat him...somehow" says Shizune as she charges at Jirobo with Shikamaru right behind her.

**(with Sarutobi and Orochimaru)**

Seconds after Orochimaru had grabbed him, Sarutobi found the both of them leaving Senhana, moving across the lake and into the surrounding forest. For a second, all he sees is the blurred motion of trees. But then, they emerge into a large, circular clearing and Orochimaru pushes him into the center before leaping back to stand before the closest tree.

As he gets back onto his feet, Sarutobi sees a flash of light in the distance, followed by a wall of chakra rising up into a dome shape, completely sealing them off from any outside interference. Sarutobi then looks back at Orochimaru who is giving him an almost giddy smirk.

"If you really wanted me to come to a more secluded spot so we could catch up on old times, you should have just asked" says Sarutobi as he makes sure he was still able to move without pain or soreness.

"I suppose so. But this seemed to be the more fun approach, Sarutobi-sensei. After all, I'm sure you feel the same as I; we both want to settle old accounts once and for all. And the best way to do this is through battle" was Orochimaru's reply.

"Why, Orochimaru? Why have you come back now? Why do you want to destroy Konoha? It's your home. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Because the time was right. Because I wish to break away from old bonds; bonds that will hold me back. And yes, it means a lot to me. All the more reason to bring about its destruction."

"You'll fail. Even if you manage to kill me, Konoha will survive and grow stronger from this experience" says Sarutobi.

Orochimaru laughs, then says "Don't tell me you still preach that old belief? The Will of Fire? Such an old and outdated concept has no place in today's world."

"Once upon a time, you believed it yourself. You were such a good child, always eager to help those in need, always ready to do the right thing. What happened to have changed you so?" asked Sarutobi.

"I learned things about myself. Things about my parents. My experiences during the second war. So many things have contributed to helping me become the man I am today."

"And what did you learn?" asked Sarutobi. He already had a good idea what the triggers from the second war were. But the other triggers were a mystery to him. Especially his comment about his parents and himself. What had he learned was making him rather curious as Orochimaru's parents had been very secretive and rarely spoke to anyone about their work.

"That doesn't matter. What matters now is our battle. It's time, Sarutobi-sensei. Time to see which of us is truly the stronger warrior."

Sarutobi nods as he takes up his famous battle stance, then says "I'll let you make the first move."

Orochimaru chuckles, then says "I was thinking the same thing." He then snaps his fingers, causing a rustling sound to come from the tree branches.

For a second, there was nothing. Then blurs shoot clear from the trees and come to land by Orochimaru. Sarutobi takes a step back, then says "What is this, Orochimaru? I thought this was going to be a battle between me and you."

"So I did. Now see that I was not lying" replied Orochimaru as the newly arrived figures reach up and throw back their hoods, revealing their faces.

Sarutobi's eyes go wide with shock as he sees the faces of the cloaked warriors. "Wha...what madness is this? There are...eight of you?"

Sort of; the seven cloaked figures had similar physical features as Orochimaru. Chalky white skin, the skin around their eyes was a shade of purple, the pupils of their eyes resembled the eyes of a snake. But other than that, like their hair styles and other little detail, was completely different. One of them was clearly a female.

Orochimaru burst out laughing. "You should see the look on your face, Sarutobi-sensei. The look I was hoping you'd make; priceless."

"Are they Shadow Clones?" asked Sarutobi.

Orochimaru shakes his head, then says "Oh no, no, no. They aren't Shadow Clones. They are as real and as powerful as I am."

"Then what are they?" demands Sarutobi.

"They are me; the Order of the White Snake. Together, we are the eight faces of Orochimaru. The eight aspects of his being given physical form."

"What are you talking about?" shouts Sarutobi. "Just what did you do to yourself?"

"I guess an explanation is in order" says Orochimaru. After a moment of silence, he says "One day, while on a mission. I discovered a hidden lab built by my parents. Within were documents; detailed notes that spoke of their greatest project. That project was me. They desired to create a humanoid Biju and they decided to use their unborn child to realize their hopes and dreams. Of course, they died shortly after my birth, thus preventing them from continuing with their plans. This also explains why my appearance was so different from others."

"I began going through their research, fascinated by what I was reading. When I was done, I knew I had to continue their work. Not so their hopes and dreams could be realized. But because I wanted to obtain the kind of power that would come from becoming this humanoid Biju. Obviously, I've made many changes and improvements since then."

"And what do they have to do with it?" asked Sarutobi, his gaze shifting to look at each of the other Orochimaru.

"All part of my ascension. I created a forbidden jutsu that allowed me to split myself into eight individual parts. Each containing all my knowledge and having the same level of power as the original. I myself am simply one of the eight born from this act. But perhaps I should introduce my other halves first."

Orochimaru points to the figure furthest to his left; a figure who was thin, almost bony. His face had rat like characteristics to it. His hair was short and raised up and spiky. "He is my greed; my drive to have everything personified in physical form. If you wish, you may call him Orochi-Averice."

Next to Orochi-Averice was the sole female Orochimaru in the bunch. Her hair was long, nearly knee length and her lips were as purple as the skin around her eyes. Her chest was rather well developed she could actually be considered attractive. "She is my desire for power; Orochi-Lust."

Next to her was a muscular looking man, his face contorted into an angry scowl. His teeth were clenched together, as if he was fighting back an unbearable rage. He was also bald headed. "My hatred. Truly a frightening thing, huh? Behold my hate in all its glory, Orochi-Wrath."

Next to him was a man who's hair was short in back, yet long along one side of his face, covering an eye. His one exposed eye had a dulled look to it, almost as if he was bored or maybe half awake. He was also slouching forward a bit. "What can I say about him other than his name; Orochi-Sloth."

Orochimaru then looks to his right, looking at a fat, if not obese looking figure. He had drool trickling from his mouth and had a look that screamed I'm hungry. He was sporting a buzz cut hair style. "My hunger, truly a repulsive sight isn't it? I call him Orochi-Gluttony."

Before Orochimaru can speak on the next one, standing by Orochi-Gluttony, the figure with shoulder length hair steps forward and says "I can introduce myself. I am Orochi-Envy. And I want what all others have that I don't. And I will have it all too."

"He's always been the most outspoken of us eight" notes Orochimaru.

"And now, last but not least, I give you my self importance, my strong belief in myself. My Orochi-Pride." Orochi-Pride, who has a neat hair cut, a monocle over his right eye, and very British like facial features, if not almost snobbish.

"And there you have it, Sarutobi-sensei. You stand before the eight faces of Orochimaru. You should be honored as you will be the first to face all eight of us at once."

"Wait a minute. What about you? If you're also a split from the true Orochimaru, then why do you look exactly like him? What title do you give yourself?" ask Sarutobi.

"I wonder? As for my title? Perhaps this battle will answer your question." Orochimaru then extends his arm forward, pointing at Sarutobi. "I have made my first move. Now, I'll allow you to make yours. I am curious as to what you'll do to counter this unexpected predicament you find yourself in."

Sarutobi knew he was in trouble here. At his current age, fighting Orochimaru was going to be difficult on his own. But having to fight eight of them; impossible. He just didn't have the speed or swift reflexes needed for such an endeavor anymore. There was only one option left open to him now.

Concentrating his chakra into his hands, he then makes fifteen different hand signs, maintaining the fifteenth sign for five seconds as he feels a burst of chakra rush through him. Then, to Orochimaru's surprise, he then makes another set of fifteen hand signs and hold the fifteenth for a few moments.

Sarutobi does this three more times; five total. Then, as he makes the fifteenth sign in the fifth set, a swelling of chakra begins to form around him. "What is this?" wonders Orochimaru. He had never seen or heard of a jutsu that required so many hand signs before and was curious as to what kind of jutsu this was.

As the spiral of chakra intensifies around him, becoming brighter than the sun, Sarutobi says "You wanted me to make my move and here it is. Since you used a forbidden jutsu to do this to yourself, I shall do no less. Forbidden jutsu; Re-generator."

The moment he says the name, the chakra spiraling around him explodes outward, forcing the eight Orochimaru to cover their eyes to protect themselves from going blind. Then, just as quickly as it had began, the intense, blinding light fades away as they feel a strong gust of wind hit against them.

Orochimaru is the first to open his eyes, the first to see what the jutsu Sarutobi had used had done to him. "What...what did you do, old man?" he asked in an astonished tone.

Sarutobi stood before them, no longer an old man, but young and full of life. His gray hair having returned to its natural brown color and his bald spot had new hair covering it and the age spots and wrinkles were no where to be seen.

"I never thought I would ever use this jutsu. I hoped I'd never have to use it" said Sarutobi. "I developed it years ago, after you went rouge. It was based on a jutsu used by members of the Uzumaki Clan; the older members that tapped into their clans blood line to make themselves younger for short periods of time. It took me seven years, but I finally created a version of their jutsu that anyone could use. That is what I activated; Re-generator. A jutsu that returns the user to the point in their life when they were at their strongest. Both physically, mentally, and chakra levels."

"Interesting" says Orochimaru, licking his lips. "Very interesting, indeed. I should have known you'd create something like this, Sarutobi-sensei. But you also called it a forbidden jutsu. Does that mean that you are taking a risk in using it? I'd like to not what you're risking by using it."

"I'm sure you would. But that doesn't mean I'll tell you" said Sarutobi.

There was a risk, a very dangerous one. The risk was the from the moment the jutsu is activated, it was start siphoning off the users chakra and once your chakra runs out, you'll revert to your true state. Furthermore, the price you'll pay after returning to normal is that all your strength will be forever lost. You will spend the rest of your days bed ridden, unable to move; dependent on being cared for for everything like eating, bathing, and even going to the bathroom. And finally, the users remaining time to live will be lowered to a year at best. And Sarutobi was accepting all this just to defeat Orochimaru.

"Very well, I guess its my move now" says Orochimaru as he tilts his head upwards, then makes gurgling sounds as his throat bulges. Sarutobi looks away in disgust. The hilt of a sword extends out of Orochimaru's mouth. He reaches up and grabs the hilt, pulling the blade free and aiming it at his opponent.

"That sword...?"

"Correct, Sarutobi-sensei. This blade is one of the sacred treasures from the ancient world. Kusanagi; the Grass Long Sword. I can't tell you the trouble I went through in order to obtain it" says Orochimaru.

Then, the other seven Orochi also follow suit, each pulling an identical sword from their mouths. Seeing the look of shock on Sarutobi's face, Orochimaru' says "With a lot of time, effort, and experimentation, I managed to create seven replicas of Kusanagi. Though not quite as perfect or indestructible as the original, they can still do the job needed. Now, do you have any other tricks up your sleeves, Sarutobi-sensei?"

"Just one. Seeing as you're using a sacred treasure, so to shall I. Summoning jutsu" shouts Sarutobi as he makes his hand signs, then presses his hand to the ground.

From the seal and smoke emerges the large, white furred ape. He quickly kneels down, his back to Orochimaru and says as he opens his eyes "You summoned me, Saru...young?"

"I did, Enma. I need your help."

"Sarutobi, you're younger. You didn't...you didn't use Re-generator did you?" asked Enma as he stands.

"I did, old friend. Now look behind you and you will see why" says Sarutobi.

Enma does so and hos eyes go even wider at the sight before him. "Orochimaru, eight of them? Just what is going on here?"

"He used a forbidden jutsu to rend his soul into eight halves. The purpose I still do not understand nor do I wish to. Furthermore, he has found the Kusanagi and has even created seven replica of it."

"I think I know why you summoned me now" says Enma as he looks back at Sarutobi.

"Then please, Enma. Summon the sacred ark and release the seal on it. It is the only chance I have here."

Enma nods as he makes the necessary hand signs, saying "Very well then, I'll do it. Sacred Summons."

A gold colored seal appears on the ground, beams of light shooting out as a large, rectangular box extends out from the seal. Orochimaru can tell that the wood making up this box was different from normal wood as it had a golden tint to it. It was sacred wood and any who were evil would burn if they touched it. The container also had many silver seals covering it as well as binding ropes colored a deep purple like velvet.

Enma then makes a new set of hand signs, then places his hands on the one gold colored seal, turning it one full turn clockwise. "Sacred seals, release" he orders. Immediately, a pulse of chakra races along the ropes to the other seals, causing them to release as well. Then the side of the container falls way.

Sarutobi steps forward and reaches into the container, then he pulls the object within free. Orochimaru can't help but chuckle deviously as Sarutobi spins the black and gold colored staff above himself before bringing it to the ready; for both attack and defense.

"Behold, the indestructible Nyoi-bo Staff" says Sarutobi.

"So, that is the legendary Nyoi Staff, also known as the Ruyi Jingu Bang. A sacred artifact from the time before the Age of Darkness which saw the rise of the devil beast Jubi and the great hero known as the Sage of the Six Paths. It's as impressive as the legends say."

After a moment, Orochimaru laughs as he brings the Kusanagi into a battle ready position, then says "Now, enough of the drama. Let's begin this fight that will finally end our feud once and for all, Sarutobi-sensei."

**(Temple of Ama)**

Tenten walked down the hall towards the large main room of the temple, her head still filled with confusion and question over what it is she should do in regards to the situation with her home. Naruto had been right, she just couldn't leave it as it was. But until she could find Han and get his insight on the matter, all she'd be able to do is stay here and keep to her duties as both a priestess and Slayer of Ama.

The sounds coming from the main hall catch her attention and bring her out of her melancholy state. As she enters the room, she can't help but smile at seeing a good number of the girls in the Order gathered around Naruto and Moegi...well, clone Naruto and Moegi.

Apparently, they were both quite popular.

As Tenten approached, she heard some of the girls talking with Moegi, probably trying to help her build her communication skills. Though Tenten had a feeling most where there because of Naruto seeing as boys being around was rare. Spotting Ai amongst the group, Tenten strolls over and pokes her shoulder.

"Oh, hey Tenten. Did you need something?" asked Ai as she looked over her shoulder.

"Nah, just stopping by to see you all gawking over our guest instead of doing your duties." Tenten then looks at Moegi and adds "Pretty cute, huh?"

"Yeah, he is" says Ai. She then realizes what she had said and blushes madly while Tenten can't help but smirk at her. "I mean, she's..."

"Uh huh, I know what you meant" says Tenten before leaning in. "Don't forget though. Hinata has first claim on this one. So if you want him, you may have to fight her for him. Not that I'm crazy enough to fight her with Naruto being the prize,"

"Speaking of which, where is Hinata?" asked Ai.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Tenten before looking around. Sure enough, there was no sign of Hinata anywhere in the room. Surely she wouldn't be training down in the lower levels now? Not with Naruto here and all. If anything, Hinata should be glued to Naruto's side.

"I just realized it. I haven't seen her since I got here; when all the girls started getting together" said Ai.

"She might have gone to her room to get something. I'll go check on her" said Tenten before walking off. As she makes her way to Hinata's room, she wonders if all the attention Naruto was getting from the other girls might have bummed Hinata out and she was in her room brooding? But that didn't seem like something Hinata would do.

Getting to her room, Tenten taps her fist against the door, then says "Hinata, are you in there?" No response. "Hinata?" she says again, louder. Becoming worried, Tenten checks the nob and finds it unlocked. So she opens the door and enters the room.

The room was empty, though Tenten quickly sees the window open and a gentle breeze flowing inside. _'Oh no, don't tell me she...'_ thinks Tenten before darting forward and opening Hinata's closet. All twelve of her priestess garments were present, so Tenten reaches in and presses the concealed button, making the inside swing around to reveal Hinata's Slayer equipment.

A quick check confirms her suspicions. One of Hinata's Slayer outfits was missing as was her three weapons. "Hinata, you damn idiot. When I get my hands on..."

"Is something wrong, Tenten?" comes a voice from behind her.

Tenten spins around and sees Setsuna, the Orders most skilled sensor. "Setsuna, can you sense Hinata's presence anywhere inside the temple?"

The black haired girl with the large side pony tail closes her eyes and checks. She then opens her eyes and says "Sorry, I don't."

"Aw man" groans Tenten as she smacks her hands against her face. "Hinata, I'm gonna kill you."

"Tenten, what's going on?"

"Never mind, forget I ask" says Tenten before moving past Setsuna and heading to her room.

Setsuna cocks her head, the shrugs it off as she heads back to doing her duties. But she freezes in mid step as she senses something powerful for just a split second._ 'What was that? It felt like demonic energy...'_

**(Hinata)**

Hinata's movements through the sea of trees is fast and precise. She was still amazed at just how far she had come in just a few months time. Taking a look at her tracker to make sure she was still heading in the right direction, she again finds herself feeling glad she stuck a Ama tracker on Naruto when she had hugged him earlier. For she was having a strong feeling a foreboding that wouldn't go away. Something was telling her that Naruto was in danger.

_'Naruto, please be careful. I'll be there soon. Wait for me.'_

**(Naruto)**

_'Once I pass through this village, I'll be just fifteen minutes from getting back to Senhana' _thinks Naruto as he passes under the entry arch. _'I just hope everyone's OK.'_

Seeing a corner before him, Naruto quickly goes into the turn, only to go crashing into someone. "Ow, where did that come from?"

"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry" says Naruto as he starts to get up as both he and the person he had collided with had been knocked to the ground.

"Naruto, is that you?" comes the person who Naruto now realized sounds familiar.

"Hey, bushy brow...Lee, its you" says Naruto as he helps Lee back on his feet.

"What's the hurry, Naruto? You have the look of a man who has the devil at his back" says Might Guy, walking up to join them.

"Master Guy...sorry, no time to explain. I got to get back to the village at once" says Naruto before taking off, or at least tries to but is stopped by Guy grabbing his shoulder.

"Has something happened to Konoha?" asked Guy, concerned.

"Yeah, some guy called Orochimaru's planning on attacking at any time and I need to get back there and do my part in the defense" says Naruto.

"Then permit us to come along as well. Right Lee?"

"Of course, Guy-sensei. It would be an honor to aid you in defending your home."

"I appreciate the offer, but..."

Guy raises a finger up, stopping Naruto. "Don't forget what I told you when we met, Naruto, I used to be a shinobi of Konoha as well. I may no longer live in Konoha, but it will always be my home. And if anyone threatens my home, then I am duty bond to go to her aid and defend her with my life."

"And where ever Guy-sensei goes, I shall go as well" adds Lee giving Naruto the thumbs up.

Naruto stares at them for just a moment, then smiles and says "While I'm not sure if those two old fogies who advise the old man would improve; the fact remains we can use all the help we can get. Just follow me and try to keep up."

Naruto breaks into a run with Lee and Guy right behind him. "Don't you mean, you keep up with us?" asked Lee.

"Oh shut up" shouts Naruto, remembering his defeat during the little spar session he and Lee had when they had first met a few weeks prior.

As they disappear from sight, a figure emerges from a building; having overheard their talk. Giving the matter a quick moments thought, the figure breaks into a run, following after Naruto as well. It was time to fulfill an oath made many years before.

**Next time: the battle joined...the beginning of a bond...MORTAL KOMBAT**


	50. 50 Eight Faced 4

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chapter 50: Eight Faced 4 (allies arrive)**

"Just who is this kid?" wonders Asuma, picking himself up from the kneeling position he was in while reaching up and brushing a finger over the fresh cut on his cheek to clear away the blood.

"It's obvious that he's at least Chunin level, maybe even Jonin level. Orochimaru obviously trained his people well. But still, his ability is unheard of" comments Jiraiya, coming to stand by him.

Truth be told, this kid was proving to be far more trouble than anyone thought possible. Though maybe he could be skilled enough to keep Asuma on his toes; for him to be able to take on both Asuma AND Jiraiya, as well as the other Konoha ninja still alive who were present here was impossible.

And yet, he was doing just that.

"What's wrong, old timer? Am I to much for even you?" asked Sakon before bursting into a laugh. "I guess lord Orochimaru was right about you, lord Jiraiya. You really are a joke of a ninja. You being named a Sanin and having lived as long as you have must have been a serious joke of the fates. Perhaps it was simply a matter of you keeping a hold on Tsunade and lord Orochimaru themselves, forcing them to carry a pathetic nobody like yourself on their backs from the beginning."

"Confident words from a little urchin" throws back Jiraiya.

Sakon grins, then says "Perhaps; but it doesn't change the fact you both are still showing signs of wear and tear, yet I still look as fresh as a daisy."

That was also true, though neither Asuma or Jiraiya even understood how it was so. They had each launched successful attacks on this guy, attacks that had both hit Sakon, and had left him showing physical injury. But then, he would release a smoke bomb to conceal himself for a few seconds, then he would appear again, fully healed and back at full strength and showing no sign of his previous injuries. Was Orochimaru behind this? Had he created some medical means to instantly restore a person to full fighting strength and heal all their injuries? They had to find out or they would be beaten by this kid.

"Any ideas, master Jiraiya?" asked Asuma.

"We need to figure out his secret first and foremost. Until then, we're only wasting our chakra."

"Agreed. So, how do we proceed then?" asked Asuma.

Jiraiya thinks for a moment, then says "Asuma, get in close and distract him for a few moments for me. Once I give you the signal, jump away so I can launch my attack. From there, we'll see what happens."

"Understood" says Asuma as he begins to channel chakra into his special blades, launching himself forward and starts slashing at Sakon, who easily dodges each attack.

"Not this silly dance routine again" complains Sakon. "Don't you have anything more potent that this? After all, I heard you were Konoha's premiere wind style specialist."

"Actually, I'm Konoha's only wind style specialist. It is a rather rare chakra elemental type around here" corrects Asuma.

"My apologies" cracks Sakon, leaping into the air, then using Asuma's own upward sweep to push himself away.

"And to answer your question, I do know various wind style jutsu. But using them before understanding my opponent's own abilities would be a waste of chakra. Besides..." says Asuma as he manages to land a small cut to Sakon's cheek, then delivers a strong kick to his abdomen, one strong enough to break a rib or two. "My physical size and strength make me more adept as a hand to hand fighter anyways."

Sakon groans a little as he places a hand against his broken ribs as he says "Obviously."

Just then, Jiraiya's shadow comes up over them and Asuma, taking that as his sign, quickly jumps clear. "Toad art; Gama Oil River" shouts Jiraiya before upchucking a large quantity of brown goo that comes raining down on Sakon.

"UUUGGGHHH, gross" shouts Sakon. "I'm gonna need a bath after all this."

"Trust me, you won't need to" shouts Jiraiya before making some hand signs. "Fire style; Fire Ball jutsu." He then release a ball of fire at Sakon, who realizes why he had been covered in oil just before.

Sakon screams in pain as he is consumed by the fire. As Jiraiya lands beside Asuma, said ninja ask "Harsh way to end it, don't you think?"

"I wonder..." says Jiraiya before a figure cover in fire jumps into the air. The inflamed figure is suddenly covered in smoke and from the smoke, a blast of water shoots from the smoke, hitting the flames and somehow extinguishes them.

Then Sakon emerges from the smoke, completely unharmed. "What's wrong, surprised your attack failed?" he asked. "Though I must admit, that attack not only nearly did me in. But it actually hurt too."

"This is insane" says a wide eyed Asuma. "No sign of burn marks or even any broken ribs. What is this guy, immortal?"

"No, not immortal" says Jiraiya as he looks at Sakon carefully. "Notice anything unusual?"

Asuma shakes his head. "His hair was covering his right eye before, but its now covering his left. I just realized that after each smoke screen, it changes position. Also, his voice has changed just a bit, becoming lower just a hair. I have a hunch too" says Jiraiya before breaking into a run that sends him circling around Sakon.

"Looking for something?" asked Sakon, turning his head a bit before looking back at Asuma.

Once Jiraiya had completed his circle and was back with Asuma, he says "That growth on his back..."

"The one that looks like a second head, only without a face?" asked Asuma.

"Yeah, I noticed it has burn marks on it. Burns that are healing themselves quickly. I think I know what's going on. Asuma, I'll force him to use his smoke screen again. When he does, blast the smoke screen away with a wind jutsu. Then we'll see if my hypothesis is correct" says Jiraiya.

"Understood" says Asuma as Jiraiya moves in and starts attacking Sakon.

Sakon once again goes on the defensive, his long term plan being to wear down his opponent's till that couldn't fight anymore, then finish them off with little trouble. But Jiraiya caught him by surprise when he suddenly leaps upwards, then sent a fierce kick racing down at Sakon, landing hard against his head. Slamming into the ground with destructive force, Sakon was stunned and unable to move as Jiraiya launched a Fire Ball jutsu at him from point blank range.

"You're starting to piss me off" shouts Sakon before dropping another smoke bomb to conceal himself. But Asuma is ready and quickly fires off a wind blast that blows away the smoke, revealing not one but two Sakon.

"What the...?" shouts Asuma as the head of the injured Sakon grew outwards, producing it's own body in the process while the current body shrunk down till it had become the feature less head on the back of the look-a-like.

"I thought so" said Jiraiya coming to stand close to Asuma.

"So, you did notice the little differences. Bravo. Allow me to explain" says Sakon before angling his body to allow them to see his other head. "This here is my twin brother, Ukon. When we were born, we suffered an extremely rare ailment. We each had only had half a chakra network between us. Naturally, it was expected we would die young because of this. And our childhood was spent being both weak and constantly sick. Then lord Orochimaru found us and saved us. Because of him, we learned to meld with each other, getting a full and complete chakra network from the merging. And we learned that when ever we switched places, any injuries we had would quickly heal and we would have our chakra restored to full as well."

"So that explains it" says Asuma.

"_Brother, what do you say we step our game up a bit?" _asked Ukon mentally.

"Might as well seeing as they know our little secret" agrees Sakon before a small glow is seen coming from his clothes.

Jiraiya and Asuma watch as weird worm like markings begins to appear upon his skin. "What is that?" wonders a nearby ninja.

"Another gift from lord Orochimaru. A form of power up if you will" says Sakon before stomping his foot onto the ground, cracking the earth with the impact. "Now then, it's time I go beyond defending myself and go on the offense. After all, it won't be any fun if this day ends and I haven't split some blood."

**(just outside the village)**

"Just a little more and we'll be there" says Naruto as the outline of the lake Senhana was located on started to come into view in the distance through the sea of trees. The rising smoke that they could make out as well was enough to tell them the fighting had likely started.

"Guy-sensei, how should we proceed when we arrive?" asked Lee, looking at his mentor.

Naruto also looks back at him as Guy says "Once we arrive, we should all split up. Most likely there are battles occurring all over Senhana and we'll be of better use spreading out to help everyone rather than sticking together. What do you think, Naruto?"

"Works for me" says Naruto, returning his attention to the front. We're here" he shouts as they emerge from the trees and find themselves racing across the water. Taking one last look at each other, the three of them break apart; each heading towards a different section of Senhana.

**( with the girls)**

Sakura yelled as her fist collided with the larger fist or the Ogre, the impact pushing her back. With all of her strength, she managed to push Ogre's fist off her, then charged in to try another attack, but the larger golem's other fist quickly came in, slamming into the ground before her. The impact caused her to be thrown into the air, where its first fist make contact and sent her slamming into a tree.

"Sakura" shouts Ino as she comes in from behind, throwing several kunai into Ogre's back. Though they embed themselves, they don't appear to do any damage as the creature swings its arm around, nailing Ino. And sends her crashing into the ground.

Picking herself up, coughing up blood as she does so, Sakura looks at Ino and sees that she is also still alive as she tries to pick herself up from the ground. She then looks over and sees Kurenai as well as several other Konoha ninja attempting to deal with Troll; not having any better luck there though.

"It's pointless, you know. My golem's feel no pain, so trying to hurt them is mute. And from what I've seen so far, none of you have what it takes to handle even one of them, to say nothing of both. Just give up. I promise I'll make your deaths quick and painless in you do" gloated Tayuya before continuing playing her flute.

"Damn, this is getting annoying" growls Sakura as she makes her way over to Ino. "Please tell me you have some sort of secret jutsu that will give us an edge here."

Ino gives her a fake smile, saying "Wish I did, but my family solely specializes in jutsu that allow us to read minds and even possess others on a mental level. Neither of which are of any use here as these things have no actual minds of their own for me to possess. What about you?"

"Same here. All I have is medical ninjutsu and chakra enhanced taijutsu taught to me by Tsunade-sensei. What about miss Kurenai?" asked Sakura.

"She's a pure genjutsu master. As far as I know, she doesn't have any ninjutsu at her disposal. And given the way this girls flute is working, I doubt Kurenai-sensei can put her under a genjutsu" says Ino before they are both forced to break apart as Ogre smashes his fist down where they had been standing.

Kurenai looks over and sees her student and Sakura struggling to keep themselves alive against their golem, but finds herself having to use all her skills just to keep from being killed by the Troll. Especially when her back up was next to nothing as she now found herself on her own as the last one fell.

"Can you get its knee?" asked Sakura as she rolls under and attack.

"Let's find out" replied Ino as she comes running up and stabbing a kunai into the Ogre's left knee, causing it to buckling just a bit, leading Sakura to power punch its face and sending it falling onto its back.

Sakura then leaps into the air and channels of her chakra into her fist, aiming to decimate the Ogre's chest with one blow, and hoping it would be enough to take it out. "NOW DIE" she screams as she sends her fist slamming down.

"Nice try, but..." says Tayuya before blowing a specific melody through her foot, making Ogre send a fist shooting up to meet Sakura's, both producing a shock wave from the force of the impact. The Ogre's fist, going all the way to its upper arm, explodes, while Sakura's attack arm is broken as well.

Sakura cries out in pain do to her broken arm as she hits the ground. Ogre quickly gets to its feet and picks Sakura up with its remaining arm and begins to squeeze her to death. "Sakura" shouts Ino as she goes to shove an explosive tag to the golem's face, but Ogre uses a leg to kick Ino hard enough to break a rib or two, making her slam and bounce along the ground.

"Girls" shouts Kurenai, already moving to help them when a shadow comes over her. Troll's fist comes down; Kurenai barely bringing both hands up in time to defend herself but finds the creature keeping her pinned down as it exerts more and more pressure; trying to crush her beneath it.

"It looks like I win" says Tayuya as she looks to Kurenai, then over to Ino, who's struggling in vain to get up, and Sakura, who's crying out in pain as Ogre slowly crushes her to death. "As much as I would like to make you three suffer, I'll be merciful and end it quickly. Starting with you, pinky."

As Tayuya begins playing a new melody, Sakura feels her body begins crushed even more. If she could use both arms, maybe she could fight back and free herself. But due to one arm being broken, all she could do was struggle in vain to stay alive.

_'Sasuke'_ she thinks, wishing she could see him again, one more time.

"Leaf Hurricane" comes a voice from out of nowhere, followed by Troll being hit along the side of its face and being sent flying and saving Kurenai. Then, the new arrival shoots over and lands another power kick into Ogre's face sending it flying back while freeing Sakura and taking her into his arms.

"W...who are you?" asked an astonishes Sakura, looking at the guy who had a hair cut like a bowl, large bushy eyebrows, and was around her age. _'Lee?' _thinks Ino, recognizing the newly arrived person.

"I am the handsome, young beast of the fist; a junior battle monk in training; I am Rock Lee" said the new arrival before taking a good look at Sakura and blushing. _'Oh wow, she has got to be the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.'_

"Well Lee, thanks for saving us" says Sakura before finding the way he was looking at her was making her nervous. "Um...could you put me down, now?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. Sorry" says Lee as he lets her down. Sakura grimaces a bit from the sudden pain from her broken arm when Lee's arm bumps it ever so slightly.

"Sakura, you OK?" asked Kurenai as she approached them.

"Yeah, just a broken arm and some busing from when that thing was squeezing me" replied Sakura.

"Ino?" shouts Kurenai as she runs over to her student.

"I think I have a few broken ribs" says Ino as Kurenai leans down next to her.

"Hey, did you forget about me?" shouts Tayuya as Ogre and Troll come at them.

"I'll handle this" says Lee before kneeling down, then launching himself at blurring speed. He easily dodges around their attacks, then grabs onto Ogre's remaining arm, flipping him over onto its back. He then flips up into the air, delivering a devastating downward kick onto Troll, crushing most of its head from the impact, then going low and taking out both of its legs.

By then, Ogre has gotten back to its feet and was already coming at Lee, who releases the locks on the small chains wrapped around his lower arms. He then sends chakra into the chains; getting behind Ogre while doing so and wrapping the chains around it. He then pushes them both into the air. "This will finish it" shouts Lee as he flips them upside down, then starts spinning them around. "Primary Lotus."

Ogre impacts the ground with such force, its body is partially crushed as Lee pushes off and takes a battle stance while looking at Tayuya. "So, anything else you got for me to crush?"

"That fighting style, that technique? Lee, do you know a man by the name of Might Guy Maito by any chance?" asked Kurenai.

"Yes, he is my master in the ways of being a battle monk" replies Lee.

"Do you know his master, Kurenai-sensei? I seem to recall master Guy mentioning being from Konoha when we met him and Lee after the Shadow Test." asked Ino as Sakura was treating her as best she could with one arm.

"Guy was once a ninja in training here in Konoha. But he wasn't one to be a shadow warrior like all ninja are expected to be, so he left to find a new calling. And I guess the life of a Battle Monk was that calling. Sounds like a good fit in my opinion. Is Guy here as well?" asked Kurenai.

"Yes; we split up after Naruto led us here. We ran into Naruto as he was returning and upon learning what was going on, decided to come and help" explained Lee.

"While bringing outsiders to the village without permission is a punishable offense, I'm sure lord Hokage will let Naruto's actions slide" says Kurenai to Ino and Sakura, figuring they might be thinking about the rule about outsiders being brought to Konoha without permission first.

"Don't think this is over yet" says Tayuya as she stands up and gets their attentions. Weird markings begins to appear upon her exposed flesh as she adds "This fight is far from over. Now, it's time for you all to see what I can really do." She then plows into her flute, causing the remains of Ogre and Troll to begin shaking. They then lift into the air, then fly into each other; colliding and merging.

"Thanks to the power of the curse mark given by lord Orochimaru to his most loyal lieutenants, I can merge my golem's together to make something even more fierce" says Tayuya as a new three armed golem appears before them, bigger then the first two, and showing characteristics of both.

"Meet Titan, my fused golem. Normally, he has four arms, but pinky destroyed one of Ogre's. But never the less, it is still more than strong enough to kill you off" gloats Tayuya.

"Guys, stay back. I'll handle this one" says Lee as he prepares to fight the Titan golem.

**(with Naruto)**

The sound of battle rang all around Naruto as he tried to decide which way to head; which battle was nearest to him as he came to a stop upon a tree branch. Closing his eyes, he focused as best he could to discern which direction would lead to the closest battle.

"Looks like another fly has entered my web" comes a voice, causing Naruto's eyes to shoot open. Before he can look around to locate the source of the voice, he feels something latch onto his leg; quickly followed by a strong pull then sends him falling to the ground.

Looking at his leg, Naruto sees the source of the tug. _'A spider web?' _he thinks while grabbing a kunai and cutting the web from his leg before righting himself so he can land on his feet.

Naruto's eyes quickly fall onto the one who had pulled him down; a black haired figure who had six arms. "Boy, you must be one handy guy to have around" joked Naruto, not that he was feeling comedic right now.

The six arm figure smiles, though not humored by the comment as he says "Funny guy, much like your fellow ninja here." The six armed figure then points with each hand and Naruto sees seven unmoving bodies long upon the ground. "Sadly, they didn't seem to take to my brand of humor."

"You..." growls Naruto before charging in.

The figure makes a hand sign, then leans his head back while his cheeks puff out. He then spits out a web at Naruto, who just barely is able to dodge out of the way. "I'm impressed. It's very rare to see some one skilled enough to avoid my web attack from under twenty feet away. You're good."

"What are you? Some sort of spider man or something?" asked Naruto, now being more cautious.

"I am amazing, huh? I am one of lord Orochimaru's top warriors and my specialty is in capturing enemies. Of course, killing my prey is easy as well. As you can see with my previous work. And I guess I should give you my name. You may call me Kidomaru."

"Didn't ask, nor care" shouts Naruto before back flipping onto a tree, then leaping into the air. "Shadow Clone jutsu." Now, twenty Naruto's are coming down fast at Kidomaru.

"Sorry, kid. That won't work here. Secret art; Rapid Web Shots" before unleashing a folly of webs, catching Naruto and five clones in them. Five more clones break off to free them while the remaining clones charge their opponent.

Using spider like quickness, Kidomaru dodges and takes out the clones attacking him, then looks to see the clones unable to free Naruto and the captured clones and says "Don't bother trying to cut yourselves free. My webs can be quite strong when I need them to be. And since you survived longer than your fellow Konoha friends, I'll finish you off with something special."

He then makes several hand signs, then produces a weird colored object from his mouth; one that is rather long till he frees its, revealing a spear like weapon. "Behold, my Spider Spear. Formed by a lot of webbing bound together with a little something special. But you'll get my point in a moment."

The five free clones break away and each charge at Kidomaru, two of which secretly begins to form Rasengan behind the lead free, but all five are quickly taken out as Kidomaru moves swiftly and takes each one out. He then walks up, standing over the four captured clones and Naruto and says "Now, which should I kill first? Which will be the lucky number real?"

He then begins pointing his Spider Spear at each one, humming something till he suddenly stabs forward; receiving a puff of smoke as a reward. He does this again and again, leaving only the real Naruto and one clone left. "Just two left, huh? Well, that means a fifty fifty chance for me. Man, the anticipation is tense huh?" He then bounces the tip back and forth, then aims it at the real Naruto and pulls back. "I have a good feeling about you" shouts Kidomaru as he thrust the spear forward.

_'Crap'_ thinks Naruto, unable to move so to defend himself. In that moment, it happened again. A sudden rush of demonic chakra, Kyubi's chakra, comes bursting out of him without being called, melting the net and blasting Kidomaru back.

"What was that?" shouts Kidomaru as he picks himself up.

"Wouldn't you like to know" was Naruto's reply as he picks himself up. For once since this issue had begun shortly after the Shadow Test, a sudden release of Kyubi's chakra had actually been helpful. "Now, It's my turn" shouts Naruto as he starts to run forward. But then, he collapses to his knees as he feels his chakra suddenly draining away. It would seem the sudden release of demonic chakra hadn't been as helpful as he had first believed.

_'Damn it, not now' _thinks Naruto as he feels Kyubi's chakra now trying to force its way into control; just like when he had been fighting Lee during their first meeting.

"What the...?" wonders Kidomaru, noticing Naruto's right eye beginning to flash between its usual cobalt blue color to a deep crimson red, then back and forth again. "I don't get what's going on, but I'll just kill you anyways and be done with it." He then rears back, then thrust the spear like a projectile weapon at Naruto; choosing to keep a distance between them for safety.

"Move...move, damn it, move" growls Naruto as he tries to get his body to respond.

"Fire style; Fire Ball jutsu" comes a voice, before a ball of fire collides with the Spider Spear, knocking it off its trajectory and making it land short of Naruto.

A figure then lands between Naruto and Kidomaru; a figure Naruto recognizes immediately. "Sasuke Uchiha."

The dark haired boy looks back just enough to see Naruto and ask "Are you OK, Naruto?"

"I'll need a moment" replied Naruto, starting to feel Kyubi's chakra calming down and fading. "But why are you here? How did you even know to come here?"

"That town you ran into Guy and Lee at. I had just finished my business with them and was gathering supplies for my continuing search when I overheard you and them talking right outside about the situation here. So, I followed so I could lend what ever aid I could" said Sasuke.

"But why?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke looks back at Kidomaru and says "Because I am Uchiha. Long ago, a pact was made between the Uchiha and Konoha. Should one ever fall into need, the other will come to the aid of that need. And it is both my duty as an Uchiha and as the next lord of my clan to come to Konoha's aid. And...because I wanted to."

"You want to tangle with us, little fly? You don't look like much" says Kidomaru before making a new Spider Spear.

"You say I'm a fly? But does a fly have a sting like this?" asked Sasuke before making several hand signs, then grabs his left wrist with his right hand while lightning forms around his left hand. "Wait, that jutsu...its..." says an astonished Naruto, recognizing the jutsu immediately.

Sasuke closes his eyes, then reopens them with his Sharingan activated as he burst forward. Before Kidomaru can even blink, Sasuke is on him; stabbing him with his lightning covered hand. "Chidori: One Thousand Birds."

Kidomaru screams in pain is he is sent flying back from the blow, slamming into a tree, then collapsing onto his stomach upon the ground. "Don't forget, a spider can be easily squashed with minimal force" says Sasuke as he turns back to Naruto.

"Sasuke, where did you learn that jutsu from?" asked Naruto as he was finally able to move again.

"From a Jonin of this village named Kakashi Hatake" said Kakashi.

"Sorry if this is none of my business; but why did he teach it to you? And when? It's...not common for a ninja to teach a jutsu to someone outside the village, even if they are an ally" says Naruto.

"Kakashi owed a debt to my clan. Years before, he received the Sharingan in his left eye from my uncle Obito just before he died. Afterwords, Kakashi met with my grandfather who agreed to allow Kakashi to keep the Sharingan under two conditions. One, he would teach the Chidori to a future leader of the clan who would come to him when the time came. The other was his Sharingan would be returned to our clan upon his death. I approached Kakashi a little over a month ago and called on him to fulfill the first agreement" explained Sasuke.

_'Around the time of the Shadow Test'_ thinks Naruto before saying aloud to himself. "So that's why Kakashi-sensei has been acting weird lately. (sigh) Sensei, you should have told me and explained the reason. I would have understood. But I guess how I was in the past when we first became master and student would make you worry about my reaction."

_'I see. So Naruto is Kakashi's student. Now things are making sense' _thinks Sasuke.

"Damn, you Uchiha really are as good as I heard" comes the voice of Kidomaru, making Naruto and Sasuke quickly look to where he had fallen. Kidomaru was standing, a big hole in his side that had blood colored skin showing beneath. "I got to admit. That little jutsu of yours really hurts."

"How are you still alive?" asked Sasuke, surprised to see how little damage had actually been done.

"You can thank my blood limit for that one. It's called the Kumonenkin. I can use to to harden my skin to become like steel and I can even combine it with my web jutsu, covering myself in it so its like I'm wearing armor. All your attack managed to do was pierce my armor and nick my skin" explains Kidomaru.

"Man, this guys tougher than I thought" says Naruto, taking a battle stance. "But I'm sure we can take him together."

"Naruto..." says Sasuke, looking back at him. "I want you to leave this guy to me. Go and see if anyone else in the village needs help."

"Are you sure? This guys gonna be tough with just you alone" says Naruto.

Sasuke smiles and says "Yeah, I know. That's why I want to fight him alone. This will be a good chance to see if all my training up till this moment has been worth it or not."

Though he still didn't like it, Naruto nods and says "Alright, just don't do anything crazy. And don't die either, Sasuke." Naruto then turns and heads off to find other battles going on.

"Boy, you sure are confident in yourself" says Kidomaru. "I have heard that the Uchiha are quite the skilled warriors. But the fact they were all killed by one man makes me doubt that little claim."

"You think the Uchiha are weak?" asked Sasuke.

"If the shoe fits?" was Kidomaru's reply.

"Perhaps, but keep this in mind. That one man was also an Uchiha. So the destruction of my clan can be seen as a sign of weakness for the clan as a whole and/or a sign of just how powerful just one Uchiha alone can be" points out Sasuke.

"I guess. So tell me, Uchiha. How do you plan on getting around my Kumonenkin?" asked Kidomaru.

"I'll just hit you hard enough to bust through it. And I'll do it using this" says Sasuke before making several hand signs. "Fire style; Phoenix Armor jutsu."

Immediately, flames appeared upon Sasuke, covering his legs from his feet to his knees; his arms from the tips of his fingers to just above his wrist; and his chest from the bottom of his neck to the top of his torso. It wasn't complete yet as Okai Haruno had told him would be the case. Like many jutsu, it would grow stronger in time the more he used and experienced it. Furthermore, once he had truly mastered the armor, not only would it provide full coverage of his body, but the flames itself would take on a distinct shape. For Okai, his flame armor had taken on a wolf like form. And Sasuke was curious as to what his would look like once it was mastered.

"Phoenix Armor? Shouldn't it be covering all of you?" asked Kidomaru.

"I admit its still a work in progress. But this much will be more than enough to take you down" shouts Sasuke before shooting forward in a burst of flames, forcing Kidomaru to go on the defensive as Sasuke's fiery attacks being impacting against his body.

**(with Sarutobi and the eight Orochimaru)**

The air was tense as Sarutobi and Enma faced the eight Orochimaru, who were begins to slink apart with the intention of surrounding them before attacking. "Despite the odds, I will remain with you until the end, Sarutobi. I'll fight by your side just like the old days."

"I appreciate the offer, Enma, but I want to do this alone. You can return home if you wish" says Sarutobi.

Enma looks at him, shocked, and says "You can't be serious. Against eight of him is more than even you can handle. You're gonna need me..."

"Maybe, but this is my mess to clean up. You were right; I should have ended this years ago when I learned of Orochimaru's secret research. But I let him go...because I wanted to believe he could still be saved."

"I understand that, but still..." says Enma.

"Please old friend, let me do this. I need to do this" ask Sarutobi.

Enma sighs, then says "Fine, I won't interfere. But I am not going back either. I'll remain on the sidelines and watch for now. But I will jump in and aid you if the need for that is great enough. Agreed?"

Sarutobi nods, saying "Agreed."

With that, Enma backs off to the side. The eight Orochimaru watch him till he was standing by a nearby tree, then they each look back at Sarutobi and Orochimaru says "You'll regret not having him with you from the get go, Sarutobi-sensei."

And with that, the Wrath is the first to shoot forward, his blade raised high overhead as he comes upon Sarutobi, then sends it swinging down with enough force to leave a deep gash in the earth. Sarutobi counters by holding the Nyoi staff upwards, knocking Wrath's attack back upwards as well. Then, before Wrath can make another move, Sarutobi quickly plants his hand against his chest, sending Wrath blasting back hard with a Air Palm attack.

Lust spins around to avoid impacting with Wrath with the grace of a dancer. She then does a spinning leap into the air, slashing her faux Kusanagi outwards in an attempt to slice the Hokage's head clean off. Sarutobi leans back hard to avoid the attack, then quickly throws himself back forward while releasing an intense ball of fire that collides with Lust. Sarutobi then spins around and hammers Lust with the Nyoi staff while she was still locked in the smoke with perfect accuracy. Her burnt body is sent flying off to the side.

Immediately, Avarice and Envy come at Sarutobi from both sides; Avarice slicing his blade at neck level while Envy swings his at Sarutobi's knees. Thinking fast, Sarutobi jumps into the air, shifting his body into a horizontal position while going into a spin; narrowly avoiding both attacks. In that same instance, he adjust the position of the Nyoi staff so that both ends are facing towards the Orochimaru clones, or what ever he wants to call them, then mentally commands the staff to extend outwards, nailing them both, and sending them flying back.

"Marvelous, Sarutobi-sensei. Show me more" shouts Orochimaru as he comes bursting from the ground, then starts delivering quick precise slashes at Sarutobi, who finds himself stepping back and using the Nyoi staff to block and push away his moves. Thinking quickly, Sarutobi slams a foot down hard upon the ground, causing a sudden mound of earth to erupt beneath Orochimaru, knocking him off balance. Sarutobi then channels lightning chakra into a free left hand as he prepares to use his own version of Kakashi's Lightning Blade to strike Orochimaru in his heart.

A glint of sunlight reflecting off the metal of a kunai at the corner of his eye catches Sarutobi's attention, making him take a step back, then look to his right, seeing Pride who immediately makes an unknown motion with his hands, then claps them together to create an intense flash of light. Sarutobi immediately shields his eyes with his arm to keep from being blinded. Orochimaru, having regained his footing, quickly unleashes a swarm of white/gray snakes from the sleeves of his tunic that slam into the Hokage, sending him flying back.

Sarutobi flips in mid air, managing to land on his feet. He then tries to look around the battlefield to discern the location of the eight Orochimaru, but finds his vision blurred and spotty from the sudden flash of light from the unknown technique. "Sarutobi, above you" comes Enma's voice, making Sarutobi react on instinct and release another fire ball above him.

"Impressive, sensei" comes Orochimaru's voice from directly behind him, making Sarutobi jump forward while spinning around.

"Like I said before, my other halves have been traveling around, learning many new things. That technique used by Pride originated from a land far to the east; a place called Eirna, But enough chit chat, time to die."

Orochimaru rushes at Sarutobi, who's vision had cleared up enough to allow him to sort-of see the approach. Sarutobi's response is to slam an open palm into the ground, causing glop's of dirt to shoot into the air, which then reshape into a shuriken shape that then launch themselves at Orochimaru, who dodges around them. But just as he finish's moving around the last of them, he feels the painful piercing of his stomach as Sarutobi plunges a Lightning Blade into his opponent.

Orochimaru coughs up blood as Sarutobi pulls his hand free. Then, he goes to use one more that is aimed at Orochimaru's head; intending to finish him with this final blow. But his finds a metal cord suddenly coming into his line of sight, wrapping around his arms. Looking, he sees Lust as the source of the metal chains and only slightly singed as she pulls hard enough to send him off his feet, flying at her. Managing to plant his feet upon the ground, Sarutobi uses sends a bolt of lightning coursing through the chains, electrifying Lust, then fires a long range wind jutsu to push her off her feet.

A shadow then comes over Sarutobi, who looks up and sees the fat Orochimaru clone, Gluttony, coming down upon him. Gluttony's body grows bigger as it descends, not due to it being closer, but by way of expansion; growing bigger with the intent on crushing him flat. Aiming the Nyoi staff at an angle, Sarutobi is just barely able to push himself away before Gluttony can smoosh him. As he looks at Gluttony, something becomes appearent to Sarutobi.

The one who both calls himself and looks exactly like Orochimaru was also the most like Orochimaru in his actions and battle style. Wrath was obviously the most aggressive, taking the initiative and likely not one for thinking. Both Avarice and Envy seemed like average fighters thus far. Lust, though not as strong, had a few tricks up her sleeve. Pride seemed to prefer keeping his distance as a long range fighter. Gluttony was slow but likely sturdy with that thick set body. And Sloth...? Sarutobi looked around, realizing that he was the only one to have yet make a move against him. He then sees Sloth, standing still were he had last been when Wrath attacked; a giant snot bubble growing and shrinking from his nose that indicated he was asleep.

_'Seriously?' _thinks Sarutobi. He knew it was called Sloth, but this was just sad.

"Eye's open, boy" comes Envy suddenly. Sarutobi's gaze immediately shifts downward, seeing Envy who is looking up at him with a grin as he stabs Sarutobi in the leg, then uses the butt of the hilt to send the Nyoi staff flying from Sarutobi's hand, causing it to impact with a large half buried lump of rock. Envy then gets grabbed by Avarice, who flings him back while shouting "He's mine for the kill." He aims his blade at Sarutobi's chest, but the Hokage manages to clap his hands together to stop the blade just an inch from skewering him. He then jerks hard with the blade, freeing it from Greed's hands, then hammers the back of the hilt into his face the knock him back. Sarutobi then drops the sword onto the ground before slamming his foot down, destroying the blade.

Avarice roars at the loss of his weapon and charges at Sarutobi, who ducks low and catches Avarice off guard as he grabs at his feet, then sends him swinging into Envy, sending them both flying. Sarutobi then goes for the Nyoi staff, making a mental note that Envy is skilled at sneak attacks and Avarice's greed can be used against him. Reaching the staff, he grabs it and tries to free it, but finds the weapon embedded pretty good into the rock. A roar from behind him alerts him to Wrath's approach. So, putting all his strength into it, he pulls both the staff and the rock attached to it free from the ground, revealing the rock was actually a large boulder. Sarutobi then spins around, slamming the boulder into Wrath's face with bone crushing force, making the enraged Orochimaru go spinning into the air with lots of blood spilling into the air. Seeing the other Orochimaru gathering together, Sarutobi spins the Nyoi staff, then makes a motion for them to come at him when they're ready.

_'You truly are a master shinobi, Saru. A ninja able to use any and all elemental jutsu at his disposal with out a single hand sign, but by pure thought and will. And, to be able to keep in top form even in your old age and with that deep cut. Now, you are once again showing why you counted as one of the greatest of ninja in this world'_ thinks Enma as the battle continues.

**(with Hinata)**

Hinata came to a stop on a tree branch as she looked upon the large lake that surrounded Senhana. The smoke rising into the air and the sound of battles were both enough to alert her that this was indeed the place. She takes a look at her tracer, but finds the compass spinning wildly.

"Interference?" she wondered. Given what must be going on over there, it was probably expected that the tracer would go out of whack here. So, how was she going to locate Naruto in such a big place.

An idea comes to her. "I guess now is as good as time as any" she says aloud before making several hand signs, then she channels chakra into her eyes. "Byakugan" she yells as veins pop up around her eyes and her vision suddenly shifts.

Putting her focus into looking forward alone, she begins to see all of Senhana and everyone in it. She came make out dozens of chakra signatures, both coming from people and Hybrids. But just which one was Naruto's?

Instantly, her eyes auto focus onto one specific chakra signature, one stronger and more unique than any other. In her heart, Hinata knew that it was Naruto's chakra signature she was seeing.

"Hold on, Naruto. I'm coming" says Hinata as she makes sure her mouth was covered and she pulls out her special shades to conceal her eyes. She then leaps onto the water and races towards Senhana.

**(and with Naruto again)**

_'Where's Kakashi-sensei at?' _wondered Naruto as he looked around for any other sign of fighting. The sudden sound of screaming catches his ears and he turns to the direction of the screams. Emerging close to the upper southern area of Senhana, Naruto arrives just in time to see the lifeless body of one shinobi falling to the ground.

Naruto rushes in and catches the person, but already knows he's to late. He lays the person gently down on the ground and silently bows to avenge them. "Hard to believe Konoha is considered one of the five great ninja villages."

Naruto looks up, seeing a pale faced figure coming down and landing near to him. "The ninja here are so weak, it's amazing you've survived as long as you have. I guess it must be a result of pity."

Naruto glares at the man as he stands tall. "Don't mock Konoha, and don't think we're weak either. No matter what, we will not back down and we will fight with all we have."

"Even if that only results in death by days end?"

"Not gonna happen pal. We will win this day, or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki; future Hokage of Konoha."

"So, you aspire yourself to the rank of a Kage, huh? Then perhaps you might be more of a challenge than these weaklings" said the figure before a large bone spike grows from his palm. "My name is Kimimaro, lord Orochimaru's best warrior. Show me what you can do, future Hokage."

**Next time: the Shinobi of Konoha...invoking of death**


	51. 51 Eight Faced 5

**AN: **NIO chapter 52 will be out between Friday and Monday (currently 70% done as of this release).

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.51: Eight Faced 5 – Will of Fire**

Jirobo easily swatted the kunai thrown at him away, then stomped his foot into the ground, the power from the impact causing both earth and rocks to come bursting outwards, forcing Shizune and Shikamaru to jump clear, knowing the edges of the rocks would be sharp enough to slice through skin.

"You think backing away is gonna be enough?" asked Jirobo before smashing his fist into each rock, sending them hurtling towards the two Konoha nin like missiles.

Shikamaru and Shizune do their best to dodge each one, but Jirobo simply keeps smacking his foot down to bring up more ammo. Then, he takes it further by causing the large chunks of earth and rock to be shattered, turning them into smaller yet more dangerous projectiles.

Shikamaru finds himself stumbling, allowing a pebble to rip through his right shoulder. Seeing this, Shizune tries to create some cover in between her own dodging by releasing another poison fog, but Jirobo sees it coming and rushes forward, grabbing Shizune by the throat.

"Shizune" shouts Shikamaru as she struggles in vain to free herself. Before Shikamaru is able to move to assist her, Jirobo lifts her up over him, then sends her smashing down hard onto the ground. "Geo Impact" says Jirobo, looking at Shikamaru as he releases the motionless Shizune.

"Damn you" shouts Shikamaru as he gets back on his feet and charges at the Oto nin.

"Foolish pineapple hair..." says Jirobo before using his Shoulder Charge taijutsu to slam against Shikamaru and crush him back against a tree. As he pulls away, he adds "Isn't it obvious I was gonna win here? After all, the best method you could use to counter me is pure taijutsu, something you and the woman obviously aren't skilled in and those fallen Kono-dogs weren't good enough at."

Shikamaru, collapsing onto the ground from the blow that had assuredly broken some ribs and knocked the wind out of him, looked up at Jirobo with a glaring expression and says in a weak voice "...damn..."

Jirobo chuckles as his right hand becomes covered in rocks, creating a kind of boxing glove. "I'll be kind and end this now. Hopefully, the others might have left me a more suitable challenge." He then raises his rock covered hand into the air. "Good night, pineapple hair."

"Leaf Hurricane" comes a voice from behind Jirobo, who spins around immediately upon hearing it, only to find a foot slamming into his face and sending him flying.

Shikamaru blinks in surprise as the owner of that kick lands before him. "You? Your..."

"Glad to see I made it in time" says Guy as he offers Shikamaru a hand.

"Master Guy? What are you doing here?" ask Shikamaru as he accepts Guy's hand and is returned to standing though the act is a painful one.

"Me and Lee ran into Naruto as he was heading back here. After explaining the situation to us, I decided we should come and help out ourselves. After all, I was once a ninja in training for Konoha."

"All the same, I'm glad for the save. Wait, what about miss Shizune?" wonders Shikamaru as he looks to where she laid.

"You go check on her. Leave this large bodies fellow to me" said Guy before moving away from Shikamaru, who moves as quickly as he can to Shizune's side, and faces Jirobo who'd just returned to standing after the attack.

"So, a new guy huh? I hate it when people interrupt me while I work" complained Jirobo while rubbing the spot he had been kicked in. He didn't admit it aloud, but the kick had hurt. Plus, he was sure a tooth had been broken as well. He then looks at the newly arrived figure and ask "So, who are you? You don't seem to be a Konoha nin based on your clothes and the lack of the villages symbol."

"I use to be a ninja of Konoha, but now I am simply a wandering Battle Monk who has come home to defend his history. As for my name? I am the eternal youthful, blazing emerald beast and master of the fist. Might Guy" proclaims Guy as he makes a stance by standing on one foot, having his left arm angled over his head and right arm pointing out towards Jirobo.

_'Oh great. I wanted a more interesting challenge and I get a weirdo. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers I guess'_ thinks Jirobo. "Well then, Mr. emerald beast. Please give me more of a challenge than these jokes here did."

"O-KAY" shouts Guy before disappearing from sight, only to reaper directly before Jirobo, sending his fist slamming into his gut, sending him flying back.

"Wha..." says Jirobo as he tries to right himself, but Guy immediately appears beside him again, delivering a powerful kick that sends Jirobo bouncing across the ground.

Guy comes to a stop then holds out a hand and says "Are you even trying to fight back? I thought you wanted a challenge so stop holding back on my account."

Jirobo looks at Guy while running a thumb over the cut he now head on his cheek. "Damn you, you cocky freak. Fine, you want me to stop holding back, then I will."

Off to the side, Shizune groans as she returns to consciousness. "Shizune; Shizune, are you all right?" asked a concerned Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru?" she says weakly before she remembered that they were in battle. She quickly sits up despite the pain and ask "What's going on? Did you beat him?"

Shikamaru shakes his head and says "He would have finished us off by now, if not for back up arriving." Shikamaru then points her to Guy.

"Who's that?" asked Shizune.

"A former ninja of our village turned Battle Monk. I'm guessing Naruto found and brought him here" said Shikamaru.

Guy watches as glowing marks appear across Jirobo's body, making him cock his head to the side in confusion. Once the curse mark had become activated, Jirobo laughs and says "Now I'll show you what power is all about..."

Before he can finish, Guy appears kneeling before him, sending a kick up against his chin, blasting him skyward. Guy then jumps up after him, does several spins before batting him back down onto the ground, then landing himself on a tree branch.

"Wow, he's amazing" said Shizune.

"And I doubt he's even gotten serious yet" adds Shikamaru.

Jirobo growls in frustration as he gets back on his feet. "You think that was enough to defeat me? Do you really think YOU can defeat me?" he shouts in anger.

"Are you sure you're being serious now? Those markings didn't seem to do anything. Maybe if you weren't so fat, you could be stronger" notes Guy, looking down at him.

"Fat? Fat? FAT? How dare you...call me FFFAAATTT" screams Jirobo as he slams his foot onto the ground, causing a massive mound of earth to blast outwards. "Granite Gravestone" Jirobo says. Normally, it was used to rain earth down onto an opponent to bury them. But he was so mad now that he felt he could easily use the whole thing as a projectile. "NOW DIE" he screams as he launches the attack at Guy.

Guy sighs, saying "Poor kid." He then jumps forward, then punches the attack with enough force to cause the whole thing to shatter into tiny pebbles. Jirobo's eyes go wide as Guy comes in with a raised foot, which he then hammers down with bone breaking force against Jirobo's head, sending him slamming head first into the earth.

"Losing your cool in a fight is the quickest way to die" finishes Guy as he looks at Jirobo one last time, then turns and heads over to Shikamaru and Shizune. "You two alright?"

"Gah, that hurt" comes Jirobo, causing everyone to turn back towards him.

As Jirobo slowly picks himself up, they notice the markings on him are glowing again and appear to be growing bigger. "I...never would have guessed...I'd be forced to go this far in this fight. But fine then. Let me show you true terror; the power of stage two."

**(with Lee and the girls)**

Titan pounds two of its three arms together before moving at Lee with a speed that seem to defy expectations on what it should be capable of given its size and appearance. Titan roars at it sends fist after fist smashing at Lee, who easily dodges each one.

"Not very fast is it?" ask Lee aloud before jumping to his right as he was running out of back up space.

"Maybe not, but its hits can't be argued with" notes Tayuya.

Lee finds himself agreeing seeing as each of Titans hits upon the ground indicated its power and ability to crush bone with a hit. Knowing he couldn't just keep dodging forever, Lee back flips several times then plants himself to a tree, using it as a spring board to launch himself at Titan, delivering several powerful spin kicks to its face. This manages to knock Titan off kilter enough for Lee to leg sweep it and send it falling onto its back. As Titan picks itself back up, Lee goes in to administer the finishing blow.

"Try this one" says Tayuya, blowing into her flute.

Titan's head jerks to look at Lee, then opens its mouth and fires a beam of chakra at him. Unable to dodge in time, Lee can only bring his arms in an x pattern to cover his chest as he's hit and blasted back, slamming him into a tree.

"Lee" shouts Sakura.

"Are you OK?" adds Ino.

Lee groans, then says "Yeah, I'm fine." He then looks to find the sleeves of his attire having been ripped off and his now exposed skin was red and sore. "Though just barely from the looks of it."

Tayuya laughs as Titan returns to its feet. "You should consider yourself lucky it was his breath attack that you were hit by. It's the weaker and less lethal of my Titan's attack. Now this on the other hand" she says before blowing a few notes through her flute, making Titan cross its three hands over its chest in a triangular shape. "Won't be so easy to handle." A ball of chakra forms at the center, then fires out at Lee.

Lee jumps out of the way before the attack can land on him, rolling upon the ground till he was in a kneeling position. Looking back, he sees a deep hole blasted into the tree from the impact of the attack.

"It would be stronger if all four arms were working together, but three can still make it lethal to be hit by" says Tayuya before firing another blast from Titan.

Lee dodges the next blast and the ones after, trying his best to get in close to launch a new attack of his own, but Titan was able to charge up a new attack fast enough to force him off the approach while being able to both maintain an aim on him while moving to different spots as well to keep up the gap between them.

Tayuya scowled as he dodged another one. At this rate, the stored chakra within Titan that made these attacks possible would be depleted before the eyebrow freak was dead and transferring replacement chakra to Titan for the chakra blast was difficult even when she was using her curse mark. But then an idea comes to mind. Force him to take a hit.

"So you can dodge Titan's attacks pretty well, I see. But what about them?" ask Tayuya before having Titan aim the next attack at Sakura and Ino (Kurenai was busy dealing with some Hybrids that had shown up).

"NO" shouts Lee as he throws himself to intercept the attack.

Sakura and Ino, though not able to move clear of the attack, are still able to react on instinct by throwing a kunai each, hitting the wrist of two of the three arms, causing the Titan's hands to jerk just enough to defuse the attack some what. Lee is still hit, but only with less energy than what made up the breath attack earlier.

"Cheaters" shouts Tayuya as Titan pulls the kunai out then makes the triangular sign again.

Lee looks back at the girls and gives them a thumbs up, saying "Thanks for the save." He then looks back at Titan who was already building up another blast. _'Man, this is getting bad. If I don't finish this now, the girls could get hurt. Sorry master Guy, but I have to use it.'_

An image appears in Lee's mind, an image from the past. _"Lee, it's time for me to teach you one of the Battle Monks most powerful techniques."_

"_Woo-hoo, alright. I'm finally learning one of the legendary moves" shouts Lee happily, jumping up and down before Guy smacks him hard enough to send him spinning and crashing onto the ground._

"_Calm down, Lee. I need your absolute focus here" orders Guy, showing his rarely seen serious side._

_Lee immediately is back on his feet, then sits in a kneeling position. "Sorry Guy-sensei, I lost my head there for a moment."_

_Guy gives him a thumbs up, then says "It's alright Lee, nothing wrong with getting excited, so long as you know when to show restraint."_

_After a moment, Guy says "Now what I'm about to teach you is dangerous. And until I say otherwise, you must never use it unless I am there to watch over you. But there is one exception to that command I am willing to make."_

"_And what's that, Guy-sensei?" asked Lee._

"_If you find yourself facing an opponent you can't defeat with your normal skills and the lives of others are at stake. Understood, Lee?" asked Guy._

_Lee nods, saying "Yes, Guy-sensei."_

"_Alrighty then, lets get this training started..."_

"Don't dodge this one your those girls will die" shouts Tayuya as the next attack is released.

"Lee" shout both Sakura and Ino, realizing they should have moved to a different spot after the last attack. Lee doesn't move, instead crossing his hands over his chest in an x pattern again. _"Eight Gates open" _thinks Lee as he is hit by the attack, creating an explosion.

Tayuya laughs, saying "What an idiot. He didn't even try to dodge the attack that time."

"It can't be..." says Ino.

"Lee...Lee's dead?" says a stunned Sakura.

"He is at that. And now you two will join him" says Tayuya as Titan aims at them.

Suddenly, the smoke surrounding Lee is blown outward, revealing a still very much alive Lee who is surrounded by chakra and his skin having turned red. "Lee" shout the girls, glad to see him alive.

"Impossible. How did you survive that?" shouts Tayuya.

Lee looks up at her and smiles. "I removed my limiters; such is the power of Eight Gates technique."

"Eight Gates? Never heard of it before" says Tayuya.

"It's a Battle Monk secret technique. Here, let me show you what it can do" says Lee as the chakra surrounding him intensifies. "The third gate; gate of Seimon, release." Lee then looks at both Tayuya and her Titan and says "Now, I will show you my way of life."

"Not if your dead first" counters Tayuya as Titan fires its attack.

But the attack shoots straight upwards as Lee, moving faster than the eye can see appears right before it and sends the Golem skyward with a devastating kick. He then leaps up after it, pelting its body with blow after blow of intense physical assaults. The hits are so powerful that chunks of its body are seen being blown off. Lee then grabs hold of Titan, flips him around so he's on top and gathers his chakra into one final attack. "Now you're finished. REVERSE LOTUS."

The attack creates a shock wave, sending Titan slamming into the ground with enough force to not only create a deep crater, but causing it to be ripped apart from the impact. Lee lands close by and, assured the Titan was defeated, allows the Seimon to fizzle out. As soon as he returns to normal, he collapses onto one knee, breathing heavily as his body is racked with pain.

"Lee, are you alright?" ask Ino as she and Sakura make their way up to him.

Lee nods, keeping his eyes on Tayuya, and says "The third gate may have been a little excessive in its use for this. I'll be alright. This sort of thing happens when you use the technique."

Tayuya was fuming now. Troll, Ogre, and even Titan had all been destroyed. Now, she only had one Golem left to use, the one she rather not use both because it required her to enter the second stage and it was very difficult to control even while in the second stage.

Suddenly, a figure comes flying out of the sky, slamming into Tayuya and sending them both falling onto the ground. "What's the big...Kidomaru?" says Tayuya seeing who had rammed her from behind (wink wink). She then grabs him and yells "What was that for, you idiot. We're on the same side" while Lee and the girls just blink on confusion.

"Quit your bitch'n, girl. It's not my fault" groans Kidomaru as he gets up. "Blame my opponent for blasting me in this direction."

The sound of someone coming to stand on the tree branch Tayuya had just occupied brings everyone's attention to it, seeing Kidomaru's opponent looking down at them.

"Hey, isn't that..." says Ino.

"Sasuke..." says a stunned Sakura, seeing her hearts owner after all this time.

Sasuke jumps down and comes to stand by Lee. "Sasuke, what are you doing here? I thought you had left to find your next mentor" asked Lee.

"That was the plan, but I overheard you and Guy's talk with Naruto and decided to come lend my aid as well" was Sasuke's reply.

"But why help us?" asked Ino.

"I already explained it to Naruto; because the Uchiha are allies with Konoha, because it would be a good test of my abilities thus far, and because I wanted to."

"Sasuke, do you...remember..." Sakura starts to ask.

"Save it for later. Right now, we need to focus on the here and now" says Sasuke, cutting her off. But he looks back at her and gives her a smile, saying "Sakura."

_'He does remember me'_ thinks Sakura, her heart aflutter from the knowing. Then his words sink in and she becomes serious. "You're right. Lets end this quickly."

Kidomaru looks at the two girls and Lee and ask "So Tayuya, those three any trouble?"

"Those two girls, no. There was an older woman but she's keeping the Hybrid at bay. The boy, on the other hand, is dangerous. Enough so that he crushed my Titan."

Kidomaru whistles, then says "He took out Titan huh? Scary. My opponent is a pretty mean fighter as well. So, I guess that means you only have that one left then, huh?"

Tayuya pulls out a black and red scroll. "Diablo; I'd rather not use this. But I have no choice."

"Guess this means we better power up then" says Kidomaru, who then looks at Sasuke and Lee. "You guys are in for it now. Wait till we active the second stage of lord Orochimaru's curse mark. Then you'll know what real power is."

"The second stage?" says Ino.

"Be careful. Anything can happen" says Sasuke as the two sound ninja's curse markings begin to glow and spread out to full envelope their bodies.

**(Jiraiya and Asuma)**

Ukon growled angrily as he found himself jumping back as Jiraiya spun around, sending the hairs of his long spiky white pony tail like senbon out at him. Just when he thought he was in the clear, he hears footsteps running at him. He turns just as Asuma sends a powerful wind powered punch slamming into his stomach, blowing him back.

_'What the hell is going on here? I'm using lord Orochimaru's curse seal, yet I'm losing here' _mentally roars Ukon while getting back up, only to have Jiraiya send his wooden sabot slamming into his face, sending him flying back again.

Ukon's rage builds even more, causing veins to pop out on his face, which was red with anger and his features were quickly contorting more and more into rage. _"It's because they know our secret now. Don't forget brother, the big guy is Jonin rank and the white haired guy is a Sanin like lord..."_ Sakon tries to say.

"Shut up unless you have a useful idea" shouts Ukon, not in the mood to hear anything, even his own brothers voice.

"How about you surrender" comes Asuma as he chucks one of his special battle blades at Ukon, who dodges to his left. But Asuma had anticipated this and was already moving at him. Before Ukon can do any more to defend himself, Asuma slashes him across the chest with his other blade, leaving a deep, bloody cut etched upon Ukon.

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH" screams Ukon, partly from the pain, partly from sheer rage.

"_Quick, we need to switch. My cooler head is better for thinking now anyways."_

"What did I tell you before? Just shut..."

"_You wanna die or not?"_

Ukon swears under his breath, then says "Fine."

Asuma, who had recovered his tossed blade, sees a second body, the body of Sakon, growing out from Ukon's body while Ukon's was starting to recede into Sakon's.

"I was waiting for this moment" shouts Jiraiya as he comes flying in with a Rasengan forming in his hands. He aims his attack at the point the two brothers were most connected at and slams his attack into that very spot. "RASENGAN!"

Both Sakon and Ukon scream in pain as they are blasted both apart and away from each other. Jiraiya quickly moves closer to Sakon while Asuma takes Ukon, intending to make sure the brothers are unable to merge back together again.

"You've lost" said Asuma, bringing his blade within striking distance of Ukon's throat.

"Surrender and we'll spare you" says Jiraiya to Sakon as another Rasengan forms in his hand.

"_Damn it, we've failed lord Orochimaru" _thinks Ukon.

"_Not yet we haven't. We still have options"_ thinks Sakon, responding to his brothers thoughts.

"_What options? We can't do shit when we're separated, idiot"_ says Ukon.

"_You're the idiot. Don't forget we're still using the curse mark. If we take it up to level two, we won't even need to be fused together to fight back"_ says Sakon.

At that, Ukon starts laughing. "Something funny about your current situation?" asked Asuma.

Ukon grins deviously at Asuma and says "You really think this is over? Even if you do defeat us, lord Orochimaru will wing this day with the death of the old Hokage."

_'Dad' _thinks Asuma, finding himself now worrying about his father's safety.

"Not that you or anyone else will be alive to mourn him" adds Ukon before the curse mark upon his body starts to glow and grow to cover him as it does with Sakon. Both Jiraiya and Asuma move to take them out, but they manage to knock the attacks away and use the opening to make some space. For the brothers, this battle wasn't over yet.

**(Sarutobi and the eight Orochimaru)**

Orochimaru and seven of his copies spread out in a circular pattern around Sarutobi while Orochi-Sloth still appeared to be asleep. The seven Orochimaru then make the hand sign for Shadow Clones and each creates nine copies of themselves.

Enma clenches his fist and growls at Orochimaru's latest actions. "Saru, old friend. Be careful" he says as the now seventy Orochimaru come running at him from all sides.

Just as the reach him, Sarutobi holds the Nyoi staff out and begins to spin around, taking out about five clones and knocking Orochi-Envy onto his back. He then alters the spin, planting the staff upon the ground in order to catapult himself into the air, spinning around and bringing the staff crashing down on another clone, destroying it instantly.

He the starts hammer the Nyoi staff onto the ground, creating ground burst that blast out at the clones, who dodge and quickly encircle him and try to rush him again. Not wasting a motion, Sarutobi plants the staff into the ground again, but them time uses it to prop himself up and break into a horizontal spin, nailing both clone and real Orochimaru with powerful kicks.

He then returns to his feet and sees a Lust coming at him, making him spin around and bat her away like a game of base ball, slamming her into a tree and making her burst into smoke. After this, Sarutobi can't help but stop and take a moment to catch his breath. It is then that he is grabbed from behind. Turning his head to the side, he sees that Orochi-Sloth had finally awoken and joined the battle.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Always been a little slow on the going" says Sloth in a slow, slurred voice before lifting Sarutobi into the air, then slamming him down onto the ground.

The impact is enough to make Sarutobi cough up blood and he loses his grip on the Nyoi staff. Then, Orochi-Gluttony and all his clones come crashing down atop Sloth with the others piling up on top of them in an attempt to crush Sarutobi to death. One of the Prides reaches out and grabs the Nyoi and tosses it away.

"Hold on Saru, I'm coming" shouts Enma, deciding that it was time for him to join in. He catches the tossed Nyoi while its still in mid air and rush's to knock the Orochi off his old friend, but the ground beneath him explodes as Orochimaru comes flying out and running Enma through with the Kusanagi.

Enma coughs up an alarming amount of blood as he collapses to the ground. Orochimaru then pulls the blade free before kicking Enma away. "Stay out of this, dirty flea ridden monkey" says Orochimaru.

He then walks over and bends down right next to Sarutobi's head, the only part of his body that is still exposed. As Sarutobi struggles in vain to get free, Orochimaru chuckles and says "Come now, sensei. Just stop your struggling and give up. Surely you knew how all of this would end?"

"Even...if you defeat me...kill me. The village will still go on. The will of fire burns brightly within each and everyone who lives in Konoha. No matter how powerful you are, you will never truly win" retorts Sarutobi.

"You think so? Then let me show you something" says Orochimaru before extending a hand out and pressing his index and middle fingers out to touch Sarutobi's forehead. "I'm able to see what my precious Hybrids can see. Let me show you what I've seen."

Images then run through Sarutobi's mind. Images of death, carnage, and massacre. Shinobi of Konoha lying dead and bloody. He is even shown the lifeless corpses of his top ninja; his own son, Asuma, Kurenai and Kakashi, Anko and Ibiki and Ebisu and Yugao and Iruka. He is even shown the chunin and genin like Shikamaru and Ino lying dead. All lies of course, but real enough as far as he knew.

Orochimaru then leans in closely and says "Everyone else is already dead, except you and my Sanin siblings, who will be dead shortly when I'm done here. So just give up and admit defeat." Orochimaru then leans in even closer and whispers into Sarutobi's ear.

"It is inevitable."

More images flash through Sarutobi's mind, but not from Orochimaru; they were his own memories of the past. An image of him as a genin, standing proudly with Hashirama and Tobirama standing behind him. An image of him with Homura and Koharu when they had been chunin. An image of him offer a rare flower he found to a girl named Biwako, his future wife. Him as a Jonin with his arms reaching out to hold Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru when they had been genin. More images pop in regarding friends, family, and the heirs to the will of fire, like Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru. Then an image appears of lady Mito with two kids before her; a red head tom boy named Kushina, and the shy Minato. And then a final image appears of a grown up Minato intrusting his and Kushina's son to him as he heads out to face the Kyubi, knowing he wouldn't come back alive.

Sarutobi allows his anger to blast forth via a wind jutsu of such potency that it blows all the Orochi off him and causing all the remaining shadow clones to be destroyed. Orochimaru tries to jump away, but Sarutobi is fast and grabs him by the neck, then slams him onto the ground before unleashing his strongest fire style jutsu at point blank range against him, creating an explosion.

After a few tense seconds, Sarutobi is seen jumping from the smoke and landing next to Enma. "You OK, old friend?" he ask.

Enma coughs and said "Nothing fatal." After a pause, he adds "Sorry Saru, I failed you."

"No, old friend. You didn't" says Sarutobi reassuringly.

They then look to see the other Orochi drop down and blast away the smoke, revealing a heavily burned Orochimaru who's body splits in half, revealing an unburnt but still somewhat injured Orochimaru beneath. "Curse you, sensei. Victory won't be that easy."

"Then bring it" said Sarutobi.

"Saru, look...your arm" says Enma suddenly.

Sarutobi quickly brings the proper arm up and quickly sees what Enma had noticed. The skin of his right hand and wrist had started to revert back to looking like they naturally would; old. _'Damn, my chakra's starting to run low.'_

Orochimaru notices this as well and says "So, your Re-generator has finally started to wear off, huh? Well then, it's time we bring this fight to an end." And with that, the eight faces of Orochimaru; the Order of the White Snake, charge in to begin the final round of this fight.

Sarutobi sighs, then says "And here I was hoping I wouldn't need to use this." And with that, he makes several very specific hand signs than Enma easily recognizes.

"No Saru, don't use..." Enma's words come to a stop as Sarutobi makes the last sign, then says...

"Invocation of the Reaper", causing everything around him to freeze instantly and all color to fade into black, white, and gray.

Sarutobi looks at the motionless Orochimaru, amazed at the fact this jutsu could actually freeze time itself. Perhaps he could kill them all right now...no, such acts were forbidden as his own movements were limited to simply turning in place and thinking. He also realizes that it has become extremely cold quickly. Then, he feels the presence that makes him turn around.

What he sees makes his eyes go wide with fear and his blood run cold; a natural reaction considering what was before him now. The shinigami was truly as terrifying as the legends say.

**Mortal man, why hast thou summoned me hither?**

For a second, Sarutobi is unable to respond as hearing the voice of this creature within his mind was next to unbearable. But when he demands he speaks, he realizes that keeping this entity waiting was a fatal action to take.

"_Lord shinigami, I wish to ask for you aid in a matter most urgent"_

**What would thou ask of me, mortal man?**

"_The one you see before you" _mentally says Sarutobi while pointing to the eight Orochimaru. _"A former student of mine who's actions defile natural law itself."_

The shinigami looks at the Orochi and his bestial face contorts into something of a sneer. **Defiler of life.**

"_My request is this; for you to cast his soul into the other side and end his miserable existence within this world before he can cause any more disruptions within the natural law of existence."_

**Your request...is impossible. This one has ripped his soul asunder, impossible to cast into the night unless all the fragments are together.**

This wasn't good. Was it really impossible that the shinigami couldn't kill Orochimaru because his soul was split into eight halves and each half now had its own body?

"_Surely there must be something you can do?"_

**The curse of death. Place upon a one and when that one joins with the seven to rebirth the true one, the curse will activate and the true ones life shall end.**

"_If that is the only way, then I'll accept that."_

**And your payment?**

Sarutobi nods and says _"I'm well aware of it; ten thousand years of hellish torture within your belly. I'm prepared to pay that price."_

**Then extend thine hand, mortal.**

Sarutobi does as asked and raises his right hand out before him. The shinigami follows suit and raises his as well; the beads upon his right hand reaching out and wrapping around his and dark markings are burned onto Sarutobi's skin, making him grit his teeth from the near unbearable pain of it.

**Mortal, simply place thy hand upon thine target and command the curse to latch upon. Then thy will shall be done.**

"_I understand. Thank you, lord shinigami" _says Sarutobi as he turns back to face the Orochi.

**Choose well.**

As time and reality return to normal, the shinigami's last words confuse Sarutobi. What did he mean by choose well? Then time fully returns and he finds no more time to think of it. With time quickly running out, he selects which Orochimaru to target and makes his move as well.

He moves quickly, dodging around or going either under and over each one, trying to confuse them until he gets his opening and slams his hand into the chest of his target; Orochimaru's Pride, which he felt was the most effective choice psychologically speaking. After all, Orochimaru was very prideful.

"Death curse, seal" shouts Sarutobi, activating the seal.

**Next time: NaruHina vs Kimimaro...Senhana awakens...the end of the beginning**


	52. 52 Eight Faced 6

**AN: **By far, my longest chapter for Overdrive yet...

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.52: Eight Faced 6 – Trigger**

Sakuya looked at the girls gathered around Naruto and Moegi as they ate dinner and found herself unable to repress a sigh. Sure, it had been cute when she had observed it several hours before. But now it was starting to get a little out of hand and she was ready to put her foot down.

"A-hem" she says loud enough to get everyone's attention onto her. "Girls, while I'm sure our guest are loving the attention, don't forget you all still have your basic duties to perform. So, unless you're still eating dinner as well, I suggest you get back to work." After a quick pause, she says "NOW" in a slightly louder and more commanding tone.

As the majority of the girls clear out while the others move away to give Naruto and Moegi some space, Sakuya walks over to Naruto and says "Sorry if they've been a bother."

Naruto shakes his head and says "Its OK. I'm sorry we've been such a disruption here."

Sakuya smiles and says "You haven't been, believe me. Well, I'll leave you two in peace."

As Sakuya starts to walk off, Naruto ask "Have you seen Hinata by any chance?"

Sakuya stops and looks back, saying "No, I haven't. I assumed she would have been here with you since you arrived here earlier this morning."

"Well, she was for a bit, then she ran off and I haven't seen her since."

"That's odd" says Sakuya. "I'll go see if I can find her."

As Sakuya heads out of the mess hall, Setsuna enters and the two run into each other. "Oh, sorry miss Sakuya. I was lost in thought" says Setsuna as she bows.

"Its alright, Setsu-bi. And don't be so formal with me all the time. Don't forget, I am your honorary aunt by virtue of the fact me and your mother were best friends when we were younger" says Sakuya.

"Understood miss...I mean, aunt Sakuya" said Setsuna.

"By the way, have you seen Hinata by any chance?" asked Sakuya.

"I think she's with Tenten down stairs training. You know how Tenten is about that stuff" says Setsuna before looking around and catching sight of Naruto and Moegi.

"That girl" says Sakuya as she shakes her head. "I really need to have a talk with her." Sakuya then notices Setsuna looking at Naruto and Moegi with an unsure gaze. "What is it?"

"Huh, oh...nothing..." says Setsuna.

"Setsu-bi..." says Sakuya in a tone a mother would use to make her child know she was wanting to hear what was up.

"Well, earlier today...just for an instance, I could have sworn I felt a pulse of demonic chakra in the air."

"Do you have any idea where it came from?" asked Sakuya.

Setsuna remains quiet for a moment, then says "It was probably just my imagination. After all, my seer power is still imperfect."

"I guess. Just let me know if you feel it again" says Sakuya. As Setsuna walks off, Sakuya takes one final look at Naruto and Moegi before walking off into the main hall of the temple. As she walked, she recalled Naruto's rather cryptic words on Moegi when they had arrived.

_'Is it possible? Could that little girl be a Jinchuriki? And if she is, does Naruto know?' _wondered Sakuya. She would have to look into this; confirm it, before acting. But if Moegi was a Jinchuriki, then Sakuya's duty was clear. After all, the purification of Jinchuriki, which always resulted in their death, wasn't just her duty as a Slayer.

It was her personal mission to see ALL Jinchuriki destroyed.

**(Senhana – with Naruto vs Kimimaro)**

Kimimaro came spinning in wildly at Naruto, who was barely able to block his attack with his kunai. The power behind the spin causes the kunai to be knocked from Naruto's hand and he finds himself being slashed and sent flying back while Kimimaro returns to being stationary; looking at him.

Naruto pulls himself up, then turns his head away slightly as he spits some blood from his mouth. It it wasn't for the protective Konoha battle armor he was wearing, it's very likely the attack would have been fatal. At the very least, he might have lost an arm given the attention the attack had given to his left shoulder.

_'Well, this proves one thing. I seriously need to find something better than a kunai to use in battles like these' _thinks Naruto as he stands. While kunai had their uses, fights like this were not one of them. Once this battle for the village had been won, he really needed to look into getting a sword or something a little more potent than a knife/dagger.

Naruto then looks at Kimimaro, seeing the bone growth protruding from all over his body. "Doesn't that hurt when they rip through your skin? Seriously, that can't be comfortable" he joked, hoping it might get this guy to lower his guard to allow him an opening.

"Every time. But you get use to it over time. Such is the talent of those who wield kekkei genkai" was the reply. Kimimaro then takes on a battle pose, then says "So, shall we continue this little dance or will you admit I have you outclassed here, Mr. future Hokage?"

Naruto scowled at him, but knew he was right. So far, nothing he had tried was working. Bad enough this guys blood limit gave him an unfair edge in battle, but the fact he moved like a skilled dancer made this even harder to land a hit on him, to which Naruto had yet to do here.

_'And I said I was going to finish this quickly too' _thinks Naruto. There was one jutsu he still had to play that could turn this battle around. But how to get in close enough to use it? An idea pops into Naruto's head.

"Shadow Clone jutsu" shouts Naruto, making six clones appear around him.

"Shadow Clones, is it? Do you really think strength in numbers will change anything?" asked Kimimaro before rushing at Naruto.

"You guys know what to do?" asked Naruto as he reaches into his pockets. The clones nod as they also reach into their pockets. They all then throw the smoke pellets onto the ground, completely concealing themselves from Kimimaro's sight.

Kimimaro quickly stops and jumps back to make some distance between himself and the smoke. While he was confident he could enter the smoke and continue the fight without injury, he knew better than to let overconfidence rule his actions. Besides, he was curious at to what the kid had planned for him.

"Now, secret Shadow Clone technique number two" comes the voice of Naruto from within the smoke, followed by several flashes of light.

Kimimaro's interest had peeked at that as he hadn't heard of Konoha's shadow clone's having hidden technique's. Well, lord Orochimaru had never mentioned them. The sound of a heavy impact against the ground draws him from his thoughts as a shape begins to emerge from the smoke.

After a second, Naruto emerges from the smoke; clad in armor in a style Kimimaro had never before seen. Naruto's face was the only part of himself that was still visible within the armor. "So, this is the number two technique for the Shadow Clones I heard you say within the smoke."

"Shadow Clone Armor. It slows me down a little bit, but greatly enhances my offensive and defensive power" replied Naruto.

"Impressive. So, what's technique number one then?" asked Kimimaro.

"Do you really think I'd tell an enemy?" asked Naruto, images of the Shadow Shape and Shadow Merge combo coming to mind.

"No, I guess not" says Kimimaro before launching himself forward.

Naruto raises his left arm, which had a thick, bulky slab of armor on it that resembled a shield, to defend himself. Kimimaro slams into it, but Naruto is able to easily block the attack, then pushes Kimimaro off him before thrusting his right arm forward, trying to stab Kimimaro with the blade extending out from the wrist. Kimimaro blocks with the bones growing from his own wrist, then jumps away.

"Not bad, but to slow to be a threat to me. But I do have two questions for you. One, how is it that the armor on your left arm didn't break when I hit it. If it's made from one of those clones, it should have been taken out from my attack?"

"It's simple. Normally, a Shadow Clone can be taken out by hitting it. But seeing as the clones are in physical contact with me, I can feed them chakra to keep them active even if they are hit" was Naruto's reply.

"Makes sense. My other question is what did you base this armor on? I have never seen anything similar before in my reading of Shumoa history?"

"Not to long ago, I was in the kingdom of Chin-Xi. It was from their history and I simply added it to my list of armor types my Shadow Armor could be turned into. So, anything else you want to know?"

"Nope, that will do" said Kimimaro. He then closes his eyes and thinks. It was obvious attacking them armor was a waste so long as Naruto could channel chakra into it to keep it active. But, he had foolishly left one vulnerable spot open to exploit. And Kimimaro knew he was fast enough to use it.

Swinging his arms wipe, Kimimaro charges forward and aims his left arm to thrust right at Naruto's chest; aimed towards his heart. Naturally, Naruto brings his left arm up to guard, but this was what Kimimaro wanted his he raises his hand at the last second so as to pin the arm shield in place so he couldn't move to defend the real target.

"What?" says Naruto, realizing what his opponent was planning.

"I win" says Kimimaro as he then aims and thrust with his right arm, piercing Naruto right between the eyes with the bone spike protruding from his right wrist. Naruto's eyes lose focus as Kimimaro says "Sorry, little Hokage. But I had to make my point clear to you..."

Suddenly, Naruto and the armor burst into smoke, leaving Kimimaro blinking in surprise for a second before the reality of what had just happened processed in his head. The sound of someone pushing off from a tree branch and him spinning around to see Naruto baring down on him with a ball of yellow chakra spiraling in his right hand was enough to make him realized he had been duped.

_'Damn it' mentally_ growls Kimimaro as he brings his arms up in defense.

"Not gonna work this time, pal" shouts Naruto his he thrust his attack into the crossed bone spikes. "RASENGAN!" The chakra sphere collides with the spikes, shattering them after a moments resistance and Naruto's attack impacts with the bone growth that Kimimaro had managed to grow on his chest during that moment. The Rasengan expands, blasting Kimimaro back, slamming him hard enough into a tree, the impact blasting off the exposed bark around the impact,

"GGAAHH" goes Kimimaro, splatters of blood shooting from his mouth. With the attack subsided, he looks down and is shocked to find the bone armor he had formed was viciously cracked, falling away. _'Impossible...no one has never been able to break my armor before.' _He then looks to Naruto who's already forming another sphere of chakra in his hand. _'Just who is this kid?'_

"This one will finish it" says Naruto before running at Kimimaro, this time aiming the Rasengan at his head. Kimimaro struggles to get up, but finds his body sluggish to respond. And he knew he wouldn't be able to block the next attack.

"Rasen..." says Naruto as he goes to thrust the final attack, but his action is stopped as a powerful pulse shoots through him. _'What? No, why now of all times' _thinks Naruto as the Rasengan fades out, followed by him stumbling back; his right hand reaching up to cover his right eye.

Knowing an opportunity when one was presented, Kimimaro uses his left hand to push himself away from the tree, then does a spin kick to knock Naruto off his feet. Now standing again and finally feeling his body returning to normal, he sees Naruto picking himself up, then turn back to look at him.

And then he sees Naruto's right eye. The iris had gone from its cobalt blue color to a deep red color and there appeared to be a blackness growing out from the iris, cover the white of his eye. As Naruto tries to get back on his feet, Kimimaro sends a kick out, knocking Naruto back onto his back.

_'What's going on?'_ wonders Kimimaro as he sees orange/red chakra bubbles beginning to emerge from Naruto's body. "I see, so you are Konoha's Jinchuriki. But it seems you are far from having control over that power if it defies you like this."

"Shu...shut up" growls Naruto, his voice wavering and showing his struggle to keep Kyubi's power in check.

Kimimaro claps his hands together, then grows a massive bone broad sword out. "You are indeed a worthy adversary. I promise I will make this quick and painless for you." Kimimaro then walks around so he can be positioned right. He then raises the bone sword up, readying to cut Naruto's head off.

_'Damn it, damn it, damn it'_ mentally screams Naruto as he finds himself unable to move due to his struggle to keep Kyubi's chakra from gaining control.

"Goodbye" says Kimimaro as he swings his blade down, but it impacts against two chakra covered claws, which then push him off. Kimimaro jumps back; keeping his eyes on this new arrival.

"And you are?" asked Kimimaro. The newly arrived figure, who was obviously female judging from the way the garments clung to her body, showing her curves. "It's obvious you aren't a Konoha shinobi."

Hinata ignores him as she looks back at Naruto. "Are you OK?" she asked, using chakra to make her voice sound different.

"I'll need a few minutes" replies Naruto.

"Then leave him to me" says Hinata as she looks back at Kimimaro. Her eyes scowl, though know one could see them. _'I'll make you pay for hurting him'_ she thinks before charging in.

Kimimaro raises his broad sword, then swings it around at Hinata, who easily dodges under it, racking Kimimaro's legs with her battle claws. Kimimaro continues to swing at her, but finds her speed and motions even more difficult to keep up with than his own.

Hinata goes to strike at his chest, but Kimimaro is just able to back out of her range. This leaves Hinata momentarily open and Kimimaro swings his sword hard at her. Hinata brings her claws up to block, succeeding her saving her from injury though the blow does cause her left claw to break from the impact. Frustrated, Hinata does a spinning leap into the air at Kimimaro, managing to just barely scrape his right cheek with her attack. Realizing the broad sword was slowing him down, Kimimaro tosses it aside then makes a bone spear.

He then breaks into thrust attacks which Hinata ducks, dodges, and weaves around. She then tries to launch another attack, but Kimimaro uses the opportunity to strike out at her, forcing Hinata to dodge. His attack manages to knock her other claw off while scraping her shoulder. Hinata jumps back, thinking _'There has to be a way to bring him down.'_

An idea occurs to her._ 'Could it work? I guess now is the best time for a field test.' _As training to master the Byakugan, Tenten and Chiyo had been working with her to develop a new fighting style. So far, she had developed the first motion, but it was still far from being perfect. Hinata makes a hand sign, activating her Byakugan. She then takes a strong step forward , sending out a pulse of chakra into the ground.

_'What's this?' _wonders Kimimaro as he sees Hinata enter an unusual battle stance. Not wanting to take any chances, he forms a protective layer of bone armor to cover and protect him from any taijutsu attack she might try against him. He then spins the spear around, before going at her.

But just as he approaches her, he feels something activate within the ground, making his movements suddenly slow down and become sluggish; almost like he's moving in slow motion. Surprised, he looks at the girl who says "Big mistake. You just entered my attack range" says Hinata as chakra appears upon the ground, resembling a yin yang with symbols around it.

"8 Trigrams, 32 Palm" says Hinata before gracefully moving forward, then striking at Kimimaro's body with open palm and finger point attacks. "8 Trigrams, 2 Palm...4 Palm...8 Palm...16 Palm...32 Palm." The final hit land shard enough to knock Kimimaro back. Hinata then goes into a spin kick, but Kimimaro catches her leg, sending her flying off to the side.

"You failed" said Kimimaro as he goes to attack her, but he suddenly finds his legs buckle and his vision becomes blurry. Falling onto his knees, he coughs up blood as he finds his body shaking and his chakra has becomes disturbed.

"What did you do to me?" he shouts, looking at Hinata.

"My attack can bypass doing physical damage on the surface, instead attacking your internal organs and chakra network. Though my technique is far from perfect, its still enough to affect my opponents" says Hinata before running at him.

"Don't think you've won just because of this" says Kimimaro, stabbing the spear outward once Hinata had gotten close enough to not be able to dodge. The spear pierces her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. Kimimaro then gets back up and kicks her hard enough to push her free and sent her rolling along the ground. As he goes to move at her, he suddenly realizes something. _'Damn her, that attack caused lord Kabuto's medicine to wear off. I'll have to head back, after I finish up here.'_

As he goes to move towards Hinata, a sudden pulse of dark chakra turns his attention to Naruto, who's body was now nearly covered in the chakra cloak as he convulses on his back. "I'll be right back" he says to Hinata before walking towards Naruto. Better to take care of him first before he looses control.

"No...stay away from him" says Hinata, trying to stand but finding the pain in her abdomen from the kick keeping her hunched over.

Walking up to Naruto, he can see his right eye was now fully black and red and his left eye was half way to looking the same. He then raises the spear over Naruto, aiming for his heart. "Like I said before, I'll make this quick."

_'No good, I'm...gonna lose control...' _thinks Naruto as he feels the last of his strength fading away and Kyubi's chakra was finally gonna take full control over him.

"NARUTO" shouts Hinata in her own voice as Kimimaro strikes downward.

In that same moment, Naruto's left eye fully changes, the chakra cloak pulses, pushing him up so the strike doesn't hit his chest and heart, but rather his torso right at the center of the seal. The moment the spear pierces Naruto's flesh, Kyubi's chakra burst out like an explosion, pulsing through the spear into Kimimaro's body. The intensity of this is so strong, the spears shatters and Kimimaro howls in unbearable pain as his body glows with the demonic chakra that had passed into him. He stumbles back before the chakra burst out from him and he collapses onto the ground, unmoving.

Hinata had been blown off her feet from the burst of chakra and was laying on her stomach. She strains to look up, seeing Naruto lying motionless close by. "Na...ru...to" she says as she fights back against the desire to pass out, forcing herself onto her feet and moving toward him.

For a second, Naruto simply stares into the vacant sky with his eyes wide open. Then, he snaps back to reality as he bolts up into a sitting position. "What happened?" he wonders aloud as he looks around, seeing Kimimaro's fallen form close by.

Naruto gets to his feet, then hears wobbly foot steps behind him and he spins around to see his mysterious rescuer coming to a stop. "I'm glad you're safe" says Hinata before her legs give out and she falls to the ground.

But she never hits, instead finding herself being held by arms she would forever recognize in her heart. "You OK?" asked Naruto as he looks at the masked girl.

Hinata's blush was luckily hidden behind the cloth covering her mouth and nose. "Yes, thank you" she says, back to using her altered voice.

"I'm the one who should be doing the thanking here" said Naruto, smiling at her. "If not for you, I'd likely be dead now. So tell me, who are you anyways? Why jump into a fight for people you don't know?"

"I..." Hinata wants to tell Naruto that its her, but then she remembers the importance of maintaining the Order's secrecy. "My name is...um...Hinamori. And I'm...well, I'm afraid I can't say, sorry. As for why I'm here? Well, it's my nature to help out where there's trouble, even if it doesn't concern me. I kinda picked it up from some one I really care for."

"OK, makes sense to me" said Naruto, having no reason to doubt her. "So, you think you're good to stand on your own?"

Though she preferred to stay were she was, in Naruto's arms, Hinata reluctantly nods and Naruto helps her back into a standing position. She then looks at Kimimaro's body and says "Is he dead?"

Wondering that himself, Naruto walks over and kneels down beside the figure with Hinata standing by him. After checking for a pulse and his breathing, Naruto shakes his head and says "Seems pretty dead to me. I guess his body couldn't handle it."

"Handle what? Just what happened?" asked Hinata.

"Um..." Naruto hesitates, not sure if he could trust a complete stranger with his secret. Instead, he decides to change the subject. "I really appreciate your help, but I better get going. There's still more invaders to deal with."

As Naruto goes to leave, Hinata's Byakugan activates without warning, allowing Hinata to see... "Hey, what is that?"

"What's what?" asked Naruto.

"I...I see a barrier on the far side of the lake, within the trees. And I see a fight going on within the barrier. I see ten figures, an old man and...a giant monkey? And eight pale skinned figures" said Hinata.

"Old man? The Hokage?" says Naruto before rushing to stand before Hinata and gripping her shoulders. "Quick, which way?"

"It's this way. Follow me" says Hinata before taking the lead with Naruto in hot pursuit.

Though Naruto was curious as to how this Hinamori girl could see that far, the thought that the old man was in danger had already made him forget about that detail. As they reach the lake, a sudden thought crosses Naruto's mind.

_'Wait, was that Hinata's voice I heard back there?' referring_ to the moment just before he had been struck by the bone spear. He looks back at Hinamori and, for a second, wonders if its possible. But he quickly shakes that thought off. Hinata was a priestess now. There was no way she could be Hinamori.

Right?

**(beneath Senhana-Senheart)**

"_How long have I been here?"_ wondered Yamato as he found himself floating in an unending sea of pure nature energy. Well, it was his mind that was floating in this place which wasn't so much an endless ocean, but a void of light he was floating in. His body, he knew, was still sitting at the center of the Senheart chamber, connected to the great seed. _"Everyone could be fighting now; could be in danger while I wait for her to respond to me. Senhana, what am I doing wrong here?"_

**Nothing, child. I was just waiting for you to call out to me.**

Yamato blinked, surprised to actually hear the rather feminine sounding voice of the spirit of Senhana. _"Am I hearing things?" _The response he gets is a gentle laugh.

**You are even more amusing than Nawaki when he was hear many seasons ago. No, Mokuton child, you are not hearing things. I am (?), the spirit of Senhana.**

"_Why didn't I hear her name?"_ wondered Yamato.

**Because you are not yet ready to hear it, I assume. Keep in mind, you are not a true heir to the Mokuton, but still a child of Mokuton all the same. By neither are here or there. You wanted to speak with me?**

Yamato realizes that she was right and he was wasting time._ "Please, my lady. Senhana is under attack __by a former ninja of Konoha. We need your help in order to stop him and to save everyone."_

**I am aware of this. The battle with the snake child has been going on for a while now.**

"_The battle has already started?" _asked Yamato, who had hoped the fighting hadn't happened yet. _"If its already started and you knew about it, then why haven't you risen up in defense against the invaders?"_

**Because there hasn't been any serious damage and threat to my Senhana yet, and because I was waiting for you to ask me.**

"_So will you help us?" _asked Yamato.

**Very well, I will work with you. Open yourself to me; allow my essence to become your will. I now accept you and give you the honor of being Senju.**

"_I'm ready"_ says Yamato before feeling something of unimaginable power wash over him, meld with him. And then, he could see it all. Every inch of Senhana was his to see; every fight and struggle, he could feel as if he was there fighting side by side with everyone. And he knew what to do.

Within the chamber, Yamato's eyes open; revealing a light shining outwards. He then opens his mouth, also releasing a light, as he says in a voice the was a melding of his voice and the voice of Senhana.

"**Arise, my Sprigga. Cast out the violators; drive them from my forest!"**

**(above)**

"How many more are there?" wondered one young chunin as he slashes down a Raptor from the sky.

"Just keep going. No matter what, we can't give up" orders Ebisu as he gets behind a Brute, slashing at the back of its neck with his kunai.

"But we're going to die at this rate" says another as several Feral come rushing in.

Suddenly, a low groaning sound is heard causing everyone, both ninja and beast, to stop in their tracks. And then, patches on the ground burst outwards revealing massive plant creatures. These humanoid creatures were eight feet in height, long bone like wooden arms, and vine wrapped bodies that slightly showed a glowing sphere at the center of their chest.

"Now what?" shouts the first chunin, thinking these new creatures were also enemies.

_'No way, are those...?'_ thinks Ebisu as one Feral launches forwards and biting the plant creatures left arm. It growls as it tries to rip it off, but then freezes as it's body suddenly begins to petrify.

"What's going on?" ask the second chunin.

"No one attack the plant creatures" orders Ebisu. "They're on our side...I hope."

"**Now Sprigga, drive them away." **The Sprigga's eyes light up and they immediately move with lightning like motions as they begin to attack the Hybrids, easily ripping through the creatures.

**(with Kakashi and Tsunade)**

"No doubt about it; this guy's good" said Kakashi as the masked figure easily dodged around another one of his attacks.

"And here I heard that you were one of the best" mocked Kabuto, smiling beneath the mask. "So far, I haven't seen the proof."

_'Sorry, but I'm not so crass that I'd be driven to act impulsively in a moment of anger' _thinks Kakashi as he considers his options.

Tsunade looks at Kabuto curiously. There was something about his fighting style that seemed so familiar to her. And then, she realized why. "Orochimaru?"

Kabuto, hearing her words, quickly looks at her and ask "Excuse me?"

"Your fighting style; it reminds me so much of Orochimaru's back when we were all still Genin. Even your taunt just now reminds me of how he would handle an opponent back in our youth. The only difference is that chakra scalpel of yours" says Tsunade.

"Well, I am lord Orochimaru's second in command, and as such he has overseen much of my battle training. So my technique being like his isn't that surprising" says Kabuto. But he still finds his words odd. Was his basic style really that much like Orochimaru's in his youth? And why did that stir something from deep within his mind?

Shaking that off, Kabuto takes up a battle stance, making Tsunade and Kakashi to do so as well. "Well, this little dance we've been doing has been fun and all, but why don't we throw caution to the wind and end this now. After all, the sun is staring to set and..."

Before he can continue, five Sprigga erupt from the ground. One comes up close enough to Kabuto to force him to retreat up onto a tree branch. "What's this?" ask Kabuto, confused by these new arrivals.

"Kakashi, stay back. Don't let them touch you" shouts Tsunade while moving away from the Sprigga.

"What are these things, Tsunade?" ask Kakashi while moving back as well.

"Sprigga; guardians of Senhana. The glowing cores at the center of their bodies sends pure nature energy pulsing through them. If they touch you, roots will meld with your skin and channel that nature energy into your body. Unless you can control nature energy, your as good as dead. Even attacking them is risky" explains Tsunade.

Kabuto, having heard this explanation, quickly realizes that this new development meant that the continuation of the attack was now pointless. If these Sprigga were appearing all over the village and if they really did as Tsunade said they did, then further battle was suicide.

Kabuto sighs, then says "Oh well, I guess the fun had to end eventually." He then makes several hand signs, forming a smoky ball of chakra in his hands which he then sends racing into the sky. The ball explodes, taking on the form of a hissing snake.

"What did you just do?" shouts Tsunade.

Kabuto then looks down at her and says "Ordering the retreat, what else would it mean?" He then jumps higher in an attempt to make his own escape.

"You're not getting away" shouts Kakashi as he charges up his final Lightning Blade and shoots right at Kabuto, who spins around and produces a flurry of snakes that go raining down at Kakashi. Though they don't stop Kakashi's movements as he rips through them, they do cause his attack to miss by a hair.

But Tsunade is able to come in from another angle with a punch aimed for his head. Though Kabuto knows he could counter her in time, he instead decides to let her attack hit, but where he wants it to hit. He quickly angles his head so her punch smashes into the upper part of his snake mask.

Tsunade's blow sends Kabuto slamming back onto the ground. Kakashi and Tsunade land and move towards him as he picks himself up. As planned, the upper part of his mask had been shattered and the pieces fall away, revealing Kabuto's Kiri head band beneath, causing both Tsunade and Kakashi to stop in their tracks.

"You...you're Kiri?" ask Kakashi.

"Has Kiri joined forces with Orochimaru?" adds Tsunade.

Wanting to play his ruse perfectly, Kabuto curses aloud before using the technique one of the eight Orochi had learned; clapping his hands together to create a blinding light, forcing both Kakashi and Tsunade to cover their eyes. Kabuto then pulls the other head band from his pocket and drops it on the ground before jumping back into the trees and making his get away.

Once the light fade and they could see again, Tsunade curses as well and says "Damn, he got away. Kakashi, can your Sharingan pick up his chakra trail?"

Kakashi notices the head band laying on the ground and approaches it while saying "No, he made sure to conceal it from even me. But check this out." Kakashi bends down and recovers the head band as Tsunade walks to him. He then hands it to her.

"This is the forehead protector for that new Hidden Oto village that was recently created. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino talked about them after they returned from the Shadow Test" said Kakashi.

Tsunade squeezes the protector in her hands and says as she scowls "I don't like what this could mean."

Just then, Kakashi's turns and looks off to his right, saying "Naruto."

Tsunade quickly turns but finds no Naruto. She then looks at Kakashi and ask "What about Naruto?"

Kakashi quickly breaks into a run with Tsunade following right behind him. "Something's wrong. Naruto...he's in danger."

"How can you tell?" asked Tsunade.

"He's my student" says Kakashi, the serious tone and the words used were more than enough to explain.

The Sound Four, just as they finish their transformations, see the ball of chakra shoot into the sky followed by the image of the snake. Realizing what it means, they all return to normal before turning and making their retreats. Though they are followed, the chase ends once they pass the boundaries of the village. Now was not the time for pursuit as their could be fellow ninja in need of aid due to injury.

And thus, the battle for Senhana came to an end.

**(with Naruto and Hinamori/Hinata)**

"Just a few more seconds" says Hinata as she and Naruto sail through the sea of trees.

Moments later, they come to a stop before the massive barrier that encapsulated the area Sarutobi and Orochimaru were fighting. Naruto walks up and presses his hand to the barrier, then punches it as heard as he can, only getting a ripple effect as a response.

"Hey, Hinamori, do you by any chance know anything about dispelling barriers?" asked Naruto.

Hinata shakes her head and says "Sorry, but I don't start learning about barriers till next week."

"Boy, they really like to make this hard for a guy, huh?" says Naruto before turning back to the barrier and touches it again. _'I wonder...'_

Naruto decides it was worth a shot, but there was just two little hitches to deal with. "Hey, Hinamori?"

"Yes?" asked Hinata, who had been trying to think of something herself.

"Can you keep a secret?" asked Naruto.

Hinata nods, then says "Yes, why?"

"I have an idea, but...just promise you won't tell anyone about what you're about to see. OK?"

"Sure, I promise" says Hinata.

That just left the other hitch. What would happen if he tried to call upon Kyubi's chakra? It had already tried to force its way to the surface multiple times today and the last instance had nearly succeeded. But he was confident he could maintain control when he willing called it out. After all, he didn't go berserk when calling on it during the blood transfusion with Tamao.

Hinata's eyes go wide as she sees Naruto's body becoming covered with an orange/red colored chakra that covered him like a cloak. Naruto then plants his hands firmly against the barrier and begins bombarding it with the demonic chakra, causing distorting ripples to be created.

_'Naruto...? No way...a Jinchuriki?'_ thinks Hinata, shocked. It was impossible, it had to be. But yet she was seeing it with her own eyes. Naruto was a Jinchuriki. And that meant that she, as a member of the Order of Ama would have to inform Sakuya and Chiyo of this and Naruto would have to be captured for the purification ritual. But that meant Naruto would die.

Hinata shakes her head._ 'No, I won't let that happen. Who cares if Naruto is a Jinchuriki. He's different from what I've heard. He's brave and kind and loyal. There's nothing dark or evil about him.' _The choice was obvious for Hinata. She would never let the order learn of Naruto's secret. And if they did, then she knew were her loyalty belonged. Even if it meant her death, she would stand by Naruto, forever.

Naruto roars as he throws as much chakra as he can blast out into attacking the barrier. The distorting ripples grow worse and worse till it becomes to much to handle, then the barrier gives out; shattering and fading away.

Naruto returns to normal, then says "Oh yeah, I rock." He then looks back at Hinata and gives her a thumbs up. "Pretty cool, huh Hinamori?"

Hinata nods as a blush appears on her cheeks, not that Naruto could see it. "Amazing."

"Let's go" says Naruto before they break off into a run.

**(Kimimaro)**

The darkness he was absorbed in suddenly fades to white as he returns to consciousness; his first action was to cry out in pain as his body jerks violently. It felt as if every cell in his body was on fire. Gritting his teeth, he manages to get back on his feet, though his arms hug is tortured body. "What's happening..."

By chance, he looks up and sees the retreat signal. "How long was I...out?" That didn't matter as he knew his duty. The pain was staring to fade, though very slowly. As Kimimaro heads towards the rendezvous point, he notices something important.

"My sickness...I don't feel it no more" he says to himself. It was true; even with Kabuto's medicine, he could still feel it trying to eat away his insides. But not anymore. Had that wannabe Hokage's Jinchuriki power some how cured him? He would have to have Kabuto examine him to confirm this later.

**(with Sarutobi and Orochimaru)**

The Pride of Orochimaru jerked violently as the shinigami's curse etched its way onto his skin; the pain he was feeling was making him howl in pain and made the other seven Orochimaru step back, unsure what to think about what the were seeing.

Finally, the last of the symbols crossed from Sarutobi's hand to Pride's body and Sarutobi says "The seal is set", causing the marking to glow one final time before a final mark appears at the center of the shinigami's symbols that resembled a skull. Pride's eyes roll into the back of his head as he falls to the ground, unconscious, due to the experience he had just suffered.

Orochimaru just stares blankly for a few seconds before shouting "What is this? Just what did you do, old man?"

Sarutobi looks at Orochimaru and smiles. "I concede this fight to you, my student. But I have won the war between us."

"Just what are you blabbering on about" demanded Orochimaru.

Sarutobi's vision blurs as he feels his strength already starting to leave him. Even though he couldn't see it now, he knew the shinigami was right beside him somewhere. Likely it was already starting to pull his soul free to collect the payment he had been promised. But it was also obvious the shinigami was giving him a few moments to say a few last words before the extraction was completed.

"I have placed upon your Pride the death curse. Like you said, a day will come when you will have to merge all eight fragments of your soul together again to become whole. When that happens, then the curse will activate and take the life you so cherish away from you."

Orochimaru stares in disbelief and says "Impossible...you can't possibly..."

"But I did and there is nothing you can do to change that truth" says Sarutobi before collapsing to the ground.

"OLD MAN" roars Wrath who charges at the fallen Sarutobi, but is stopped by Sloth and Gluttony.

Sarutobi can now feel his soul being sucked out and everything becoming cold and dark. He takes one last look at Orochimaru who was still standing in stunned shock. _'My one regret was that I wasn't able to save you from yourself. I'm sorry, Orochimaru. I hope one day that you...can...re...turn...'_

And then he was gone.

"Sarutobi-sensei" says Orochimaru, not sure what to think now.

Lust walks over and bends down before him. She reaches out and places a hand on him, then looks at Orochimaru and shakes her head. Greed, who was standing over Pride, shouts out "He's still alive, but I think he was sent into a coma."

Orochimaru snaps back to reality, then grits his teeth as he clenches his fist. "Damn you, sensei. This isn't...how I wanted it to end."

"Hey, its the retreat signal" shouts Avarice as he points to the sky. As the other Orochimaru look up to see it as well, Avarice says "Something unexpected must have happened to force Kabuto to call for the retreat."

"The barrier's collapsed too" notes Lust.

"Then its time to depart then. Grab Pride and lets get out of here" orders Orochimaru. As Wrath, now calmed a little, goes to pick up Pride, Orochimaru walks over to Sarutobi's corpse which was now looking like his ages self again. He reaches out and touches the face of his old sensei one last time.

A thin smile crosses his lips as he says "Sarutobi-sensei, if only you..."

"OLD MAN" shouts Naruto as he comes racing at Orochimaru with a fully charged Rasengan in hand.

Avarice and Gluttony try to intercept Naruto, but Naruto thrust the Rasengan outwards and clips them both with it which sends them spinning off in opposite directions. Orochimaru gets back on his feet and crosses his hands over his chest as Naruto impacts the Rasengan against him, blowing him back.

"Little brat" shouts Lust as she goes at Naruto, but Hinata catches her off guard and slices a deep cut into her cheek with her chakram before spin kicking her into Sloth. Wrath growls as he wants to join in, but a look from Orochimaru keeps him stationary.

Orochimaru looks at his damaged hands; nothing that time and a little of Kabuto's medical know-how couldn't fix. But that attack the kid had used was dangerous. He then looks at Naruto and says "I remember you. One of the three Konoha brats from the Shadow Test."

"Names Naruto Uzumaki, remember it. And you are?" ask Naruto as he forms another Rasengan.

_'Uzumaki? Very interesting'_ thinks Orochimaru before saying "And I'm Orochimaru."

Naruto's eyes go wide for a second before before turning into hate filled rage as the Rasengan suddenly vanishes. "Orochimaru? So, you are the one who killed Hayate-sensei. And now you killed the old man too."

"Hayate? You mean that sickly man with you at the Test? I don't recall killing him, but I don't really bother remembering weaklings. As for the old man? Well, what if I did?" asked Orochimaru.

For a second, there is silence before Naruto, while still keeping an eye on Orochimaru, says "Hinamori, stay out of this. This is a personal matter."

"I understand" said Hinata before making some distance so Naruto could work.

Orochimaru laughs and says "And what do you think you can do against me, little genin? After all, I did kill your villages Hokage after all."

Naruto's response is his body suddenly being covered in the Kyubi's chakra cloak, his eyes glowing from the sheer rage he was feeling, his now more claw like fingers twitch in preparation.

"**I'M GONNA RIP YOU APART"** roars Naruto before exploding at Orochimaru with incredible speed.

Orochimaru barely has enough time to dodge as Naruto slashes at him, his hit leaving a deep gash within the earth. But before he can even land on his feet from the dodge, Naruto was already on top of him, delivering a kick that easily breaks his left arm. Lust, Avarice, and Envy try to triple team Naruto with Sloth and Gluttony coming at him from apposing sides, but Naruto just roars with such power that it blows all of them away by the shock wave it creates.

_'Naruto, don't...' _thinks Hinata before shouting with her natural voice "Don't give into the hatred, NARUTO."

Naruto doesn't hear her as his eyes fall onto Orochimaru. The chakra around his hands intensifies and makes an even more ferocious looking claw. **"This will end it."**

But then, Naruto's body freezes up as the very force from within that had been trying to take control on sporadic occasions every since the Makai Realm incident rises up without warning. _'No, not now. Just...what is going on here?'_

"**SO careless are you. Did it not occur to you that calling upon Kyubi's power would result in a loss of control to me?"**

_'Who...who are you?' _mentally demands Naruto.

"**Who am I? Isn't it obvious, Naruto? I am YOU!"**

Orochimaru watches as Naruto's right eye changes; the white of his eye turns pitch black while his pupil does a complete spin. Naruto then releases a high pitched cackle before launching himself at Orochimaru, who finds dodging even harder than before.

"Naruto, please stop..." cries Hinata before leaping towards him, but the out of control Naruto swings his arms, creating a blast of wind that blast Hinata back and away from him.

Naruto then goes at Orochimaru again, but Orochimaru used the moment Hinata's had unknowingly gave him to form a few quick hand signs that causes several giant weights to crash down on Naruto's arms and legs, pinning him to the ground. As Naruto roars while trying to free himself, Orochimaru looks at him and ask "Do you really think you can stay here with them, boy? Look at you, it's obvious you can't control your power. How long before you really lose control and kill everyone you care about?" And with that, Orochimaru and the others make a hasty retreat.

A few seconds after they disappear, Naruto breaks free and roars in anger. Hinata is just about to come to him to try and snap him out of it, but she senses the approach of others and quickly hides herself, mindful of the secret she has to keep.

"Naruto" shouts Kakashi as he sees what has happened to his student.

"Kakashi, the suppression seal. Quickly" shouts Tsunade as Naruto goes to charge at him.

Kakashi is quick to act, pulling the seal paper given to him by Jiraiya and slaps it against Naruto's head, causing him to immediately revert to normal, and causing him to pass out and collapse into Kakashi's arms. "Is he OK?" ask Tsunade.

"Just tired" says Kakashi before seeing the fallen form of the Hokage.

"Sarutobi-sensei" says a stunned Tsunade as she makes her way over to her old mentor. "He's gone..."

Kakashi looks away sadly, saying "We were to late..."

Hinata had been watching all of this and had decided she didn't care about secrecy now. All she wanted was to be there for Naruto. But before she can make a move, Tenten comes in from behind, grabs her, and pulls her away as she turns back without anyone the wiser.

"Tenten..." says a surprised Hinata, but Tenten doesn't reply. Hinata doesn't resist as she knew she was in trouble here, knowing Tenten as well as she did.

Once they had made a miles distance, Tenten comes to a stop and releases Hinata. "Tenten, how did...?"

Hinata's question is interrupted as Tenten slaps her hard. As Hinata places a hand to the spot Tenten slapped her, Tenten yells as loudly as she can "You idiot, just what the hell were you thinking? Didn't you realize you could have gotten yourself killed by coming here? You could have compromised the whole order and our mission."

"I...I know, but Naruto..." says Hinata.

"Naruto would have been fine. He's a ninja after all. They're trained for stuff like this. Besides, Naruto intrusted his sister to you while he was fighting. Didn't that..."

"I know that, but I still felt like I needed to be here. That it was important for me to be here" counters Hinata, cutting into Tenten's lecture.

"You had to be here? Oh god, you are an idiot" says Tenten, slapping a hand to her forehead. But this seems to cool her down a bit as she says in an exasperated tone. "You're becoming more like that idiot than I'm happy about."

"Yeah, said Hinata, not thinking that that was a bad thing. "But I am sorry for causing you trouble, Sister."

Tenten sighs, then says "Just don't pull a stunt like this again, OK?" After Hinata nods, Tenten then places a hand on her shoulder and says "Now, we better hurry back home. Sakuya likely has already noticed we're both missing and she won't be as easy on you as I was. Or on me either."

As the head off back to the temple, Hinata ask "I'm in real trouble, huh?"

"Only if she finds out what you did. By the way, is lover boy OK?" asked Tenten.

Hinata knew she couldn't tell Tenten, or anyone else, about Naruto's secret. "He's just tired. After bring Moegi to us, then coming back and fighting, anyone would be." Tenten nods in agreement.

Back in Senhana, an exhausted Yamato emerges back onto the surface and looks up to see the last glint of sun light fading into the distance. Despite the fact he knew many had likely died, he still couldn't help but smile a little.

Senhana, and the people of Konoha, will survive to see another sunrise. That alone was enough to smile about.

**Next time: the sending...chunin...tender moments...moving on**


	53. 53 Choose Your Crossroad

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.53: Choose Your Crossroad**

It was well into the night when Hinata and Tenten had finally made it back to the Temple and had managed to sneak in via Hinata's bedroom, where they changed out of their Slayer garments and into their priestess robes. Since it was Hinata's room, Tenten had to borrow one of Hinata's robes, which she found to be slightly smaller in size than her own. Understandable seeing as Hinata was both a year younger than her and the fact Hinata was also physically smaller then her, by a hair.

But Tenten also found that Hinata's robes were a little tight in her chest, indicating that Hinata had a larger bust size than her. While Tenten wasn't one to worry over details such as that, she still couldn't help but feel a little disheartened over that fact Hinata had a bigger rack than her. Perhaps it was just her competitive nature at work?

"Hey, lets go grab a bite to eat while were still awake? There's got to be something edible in the kitchen" says Tenten.

"I am kind of hungry. OK" says Hinata as she and Tenten approach the door.

Tenten carefully opens the door with out making a sound. She then peeks her head out to see if anyone else was still up and roaming the hallways. Seeing that the coast was clear, she looks back at Hinata and gives her an affirming nod before they both begin to tip toe as quietly as possible through the halls.

But just as they turn a corner, they find Sakuya with a very sour look on her face. "So, there you two are. Mind telling me just were the hell you two have been all day?"

Hinata hesitates, unsure of what to do as she hadn't really thought about what excuse to make for her being MIA all day. Luckily for Hinata, Tenten had already thought of an excuse. "We've been down in the training grounds doing the usual."

"Really?" says Sakuya who looked skeptical. "I've had several girls go over the entire underground multiple times and found you both no where to be seen."

"Tenten also took me outside, down to the beach for some underwater based training" says Hinata suddenly.

_'Good thinking, Hinata' _thinks Tenten, impressed with Hinata's quick thinking.

"I see. Very well then" said Sakuya, who didn't quite believe them. But she was really tired and just wanted to hit the hay, so she would be nice and drop it. "Tenten, just remember that while training Hinata is indeed important considering she's supposedly a big player in stopping the second Age of Darkness, she should still be allowed a chance to have a break, especially when Naruto comes to visit."

"I know, I won't do it again" says Tenten.

Sakuya nods, then says "Well, I'll be heading to bed now. Good night you two."

"Good night, Sakuya" says Hinata and Tenten together. Once she was gone, Hinata looks at Tenten and says "Well, that wasn't so bad."

"Trust me; if she learned the truth, then we both would be in big trouble. You for running off to join a fight that didn't concern us as a whole and me for running off to get you with out telling anyone about your running off" said Tenten.

"Is the punishment really that bad?" asked Hinata.

"Let's just say Sakuya has a special room that no one has ever seen the inside of and is known as Sakuya's Torture Chamber. And knowing Sakuya, you don't want to sent in their for punishment" said Tenten as she shivered from the thought of it.

Hinata gulps, but Tenten then places a hand on her shoulder and says "Well, no need to worry about that now. Lets go get some grub."

**(Orochimaru)**

Orochimaru stood over the motionless, mostly naked body of Pride, examining the death curse closely. The sound of the door opening behind him catches his attention as he looks back long enough to see Kabuto enter the room. He returns to he examination of the curse on Pride.

"Well Kabuto, how is Kimimaro doing?" asked Orochimaru while keeping his gaze on Pride.

As Kabuto walks up to stand beside him, he says "He's currently resting now. I've done a full examination on him and I've found that the disease that was slowly eating away at his body has been completely purged."

"How is that possible?" asked Orochimaru.

"It would seem Naruto's Jinchuriki power is what's responsible. When Kimimaro stabbed Naruto with one of his bone weapons, the chakra of the Kyubi pulsed into him. He was passed out from the experience for a few minutes, during which Kimimaro believes he might have even been dead as Naruto didn't finish him off. When he awoke, his body was racked with pain but he couldn't feel the sickness within him anymore" explained Kabuto.

"Interesting" said Orochimaru as he scratched his chin. "Is there an chance some of the Kyubi's chakra could still remain within his system?"

"In his system, no. But I did find trace remnants present within his curse mark. Whether the demonic chakra will remain within the seal is permanent or not, I just don't know. But for the time being, I've asked Kimimaro to avoid using its power into I can determine if its dangerous to use or not."

Orochimaru is quiet for a moment as he ponders this unexpected event. "Do you foresee any short or long term effects on Kimimaro should it remain apart of the curse mark?"

Kabuto shakes his head and says "In the short term, no. But as for the long term? Its still to soon to tell."

"Very well then. For now, we'll just keep an eye on Kimimaro for any danger signs and will act accordingly" said Orochimaru. "For now, I have another task for you to do before you head back to Kiri."

"What is it?" asked Kabuto.

"I want you to give a full examination on Pride, do what ever you have to do even if its painful; but I want you to see if there is any way this death curse can be turned from a negative to a positive for me."

Kabuto looks at Orochimaru with shocked surprise. "Are you sure? Do what ever I have to do, even if its painful? But I could accidentally kill him. Won't that make your long term plans impossible to realize?"

"I'm confident your skills will allow you to do whatever you must without Pride dying. If you're worried about any physical damage done to him passing onto me when I become one soul again, then don't be. The body doesn't matter, just the soul. I have faith in you" said Orochimaru as he smiles evilly.

"Very well then, but there is something I'm gonna need" said Kabuto.

"And what would that be?" asked Orochimaru.

"Blood samples from you and the others, for comparison purposes of course" said Kabuto.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Orochimaru.

"You want me to turn this into something you can use, right? Then please give me what I'm gonna need to make it possible" said Kabuto..

Orochimaru sighs, then says Very well then. I will go and get blood from the others and shall return them for your use." He then turns and exits the room.

Once he was alone with Pride, Kabuto looks down at him and thinks about how he can begin. Something felt off though. Why did Orochimaru seem hesitant to give him blood to compare with Pride's blood? Orochimaru wasn't telling him something.

_'It looks like the death curse isn't the only mystery I have to solve.'_

**(Senhana; two days after the battle)**

The rumble of thunder beyond the dark storm clouds was heard as the entire population of Konoha was gathered along the northern bank of Senhana. Even though this and the strong winds blowing was enough to alert everyone of the strong storm that would soon rain down on them, they still chose to be here as this was far more important than getting soaked.

Everyone was dressed in black as they prepared for the sending ceremony, a time honored Senju tradition that had been adopted by all of Konoha. In the ceremony, special candles were made that would have either a name written up paper that encircled the flame, if you had suffered the loss of a loved one, or the symbol of Konoha, as a sign of respect and remembrance.

Normally, this was a more private affair that just involved the family and close friends of the one who had died, but given the fact so many ninja had fallen, included the Hokage himself, everyone felt obliged to take part in the sending. In all, 38% of Konoha's ninja force had been lost during the invasion. Luckily, none of the civilians within the underground bunkers had been harmed.

Everyone remained quiet as they listened to Tsunade as she sung a traditional Senju song; a song that was reserved solely for the sending. Though it was in a language none understood, it was obvious from the feelings the song evoked that it spoke of loss, mourning, and the pledge to never forget the sacrifices made. (fans of Xena: Warrior Princess may know the type as its similar to the song Xena would sing during somber moments).

Once she was done, Tsunade takes a moment to breath fresh air into her lungs. It had been a long time since she had done that and though she had sounded perfect, she couldn't deny it had aired her out a great deal. She then turns her attentions to everyone.

"Loss is something we all must face in our lives. Though knowing this doesn't make the loss any less easier to bear. Today, we mourn those who can no longer be here with us. Let your thoughts be on them and remember all that they achieved in life. And never forget what it is they fought and gave their lives for. Keep all memories of them forever protected within your heart. Never forget and live for them."

With that, Asuma is the first to step forward with the candle with Sarutobi's name engraved upon it. He kneels down, whispers one final goodbye, then places it upon the water and nudges it ever so slightly in order to get it on its way.

After that, everyone else who had a named candle stepped forward and followed suit. Then, everyone else in the village also placed their candles upon the water. They then watch in silence as the candles slowly begin to float away. For the Senju, the placing of the candles upon the water was seen as a way to help the spirits of the dearly departed find their way safely to the other side as it was believed the candles would lead spirits to the gates to the spirit world.

Some crying could be heard which was natural. One of the ones crying was Konohamaru, who was being comforted by Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, why? Why did grandpa have to die? Why did any of them have to die?"

Iruka sighs as he knew the question was coming. But how to explain this properly? "Konohamaru, death is a natural part of life. Its sad, but its also something we all have to accept as being just another part of life. Lord Hokage, your grandpa, and the others gave their lives so that we might live."

"I know that, but still..." said Konohamaru.

"Little one, never forget. We all have a path to follow in our lives. Sometimes, that path will run side by side with the paths of others and sometimes, the joined paths will split off. And this path extends beyond the mortal plain. At the cross roads upon our paths, we must decide what path is the best to walk and sometimes, that path is whats best for others and not ourselves" said Homura, placing a hand upon Konohamaru's shoulder.

Naruto heard this conversation, then looks away sadly._ 'Sometimes we must walk a different path, huh?'_

Several hours later, everyone had either returned home so they could mourn in private or were at work doing what it is they needed to do. The rains had finally started to fall and as predicted, it was strong pounding rain. Tsunade was in the Hokage's office along with Homura and Koharu, who were positioned to Tsunade's side, while Jiraiya was off to the side, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

"So, are you two certain of this?" asked Tsunade as she looked at the people before her.

"Yes, we would like to offer our assistance to Konoha for as long as we're needed. Given the loss the village has suffered, its rather obvious you could use some extra hands around here as far as taking care of client missions" said Guy as Lee nodded in agreement.

"I appreciate your offer" said Tsunade before looking at her advisers and asking "What do you think?"

"Might Guy makes a valid point" says Homura.

"And he was once a member of the village as well, so I can't see there being any problems with them helping out for a while" adds Koharu.

Tsunade nods then looks back at them. "Very well then, I accept your offer. Thank you." She then turns her attention to the other figure in the room. "We appreciate your aid as well, lord Sasuke. If there is anything Konoha can do to repay our debt, please let us know."

Sasuke shakes his head and says "There will be no need for that. I came to Konoha's aid because I wanted to, not just because it was my duty as an Uchiha. If you do feel the need to repay me, then any assistance in tracking my brother Itachi would be greatly welcomed."

"We'll do what we can" said Tsunade.

"Lady Hokage, if I may, I would also like to offer my assistance in helping Konoha till it can get back on its feet again like master Guy and Lee have" said Sasuke.

"Really?" said a surprised Tsunade. "While I welcome your aid as well, I have to ask if you're sure. I was told you were on a journey, looking for mentors to train you to become stronger so you could one day bring your brother to justice and avenge your clan. Won't helping us interfere with your journey?"

Sasuke shakes his head and says "Not really. If anything, spending time here could actually benefit me more than traveling around. And besides..."

"Besides?" asked Tsunade.

Sasuke hesitates for a moment, then says "No, its nothing." The truth was that he was lonely. Even though he had been trained by many, he had never really taken the time to know them or make friends along the way. Despite the danger it could bring, he was tired of feeling alone. Perhaps here, with the people of Konoha, he could finally find a place he could really belong and escape his loneliness.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I accept your offer as well" said Tsunade.

Just then, a knock at the door and a voice is heard. "Lady Tsunade, I've brought them as you requested."

"Just a moment" returns Tsunade. She then looks at Guy, Lee, and Sasuke and says "Again, thank you for your offers. Now, if you'll excuse us..."

"Say no more" says Guy, understanding that this was a private meeting that was awaiting Tsunade. Gut then grabs Lee and Sasuke, who looked a little annoyed, and hoist them up and under his arms. "Hold on kids, this is gonna be crazy" says Guy as he heads for the window.

"Right, Guy-sensei" says Lee excitedly.

"Why me?' says Sasuke as Guy tosses them out the window then jumps out after them.

Homura and Koharu sweat drop and both say in unison "He hasn't changed one bit."

Tsunade chuckles before turning her attention back to the door and says "OK, you can enter now."

The door swings open and Shizune enters the room followed by Sakura, Kakashi, Naruto, Kurenai, Ino, Asuma, and Shikamaru, who all come to stand before Tsunade's desk.

"So, you wanted to see all of us?" asked Asuma.

Tsunade nods and says "As you know, I have accepted the title of Hokage in honor of Sarutobi-sensei's memory. As such, I have already decided to enact several important changes to both the village and various other this and that's." She then looks to the elders and says "I'm sure some of my decisions won't be to your liking, but please give me a chance to explain my reasons should you find issue with any of them."

Homura and Koharu nod at her request. Then Tsunade returns her attention to the gathered group. "First, I have decided to promote Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yaminaka to the rank of Chunin, effective immediately."

To say that everyone was stunned by this was obvious. However, Jiraiya smirked though his eyes remained closed. "Us, chunin? Are you certain, lady Hokage?" asked Ino.

Tsunade nods, then says "Before the attack on Senhana, Sarutobi-sensei went over the results of the Shadow Test with me that he received while Naruto and Jiraiya were searching for me. He wanted my input and opinion. Truth be told, we both agreed we were impressed with how you handled yourselves out there, especially during the Makai Realm incident."

"But are you sure? Even if we passed the Shadow Test, we still haven't done all the required ranked missions to be made chunin" asked Shikamaru.

"True, but I personally feel that the three of you already have what it takes to make excellent Chunin. All you require is a little extra polish which I'm sure your respected sensei's can handle." Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai nod at that.

Tsunade then looks at Homura and Koharu who nod as well. "Given our shortage of shinobi right now, this is acceptable. Besides, they have earned it" said Koharu.

"Shikamaru, are you OK with this? After all, this means you won't have as much time to be lazy and watch the clouds roll by" asked Asuma.

"Its a bit of a drag, but this is something I have to do. So I won't complain" said Shikamaru.

"What about you, Ino?" asked Kurenai.

"You bet" said Ino as she pumped her arms. She then looks at Naruto and says "Hey, what's up Naruto? I'd think you'd be the most happy about this seeing as it brings you one step closer to your dream."

Naruto, who had been lost in thought, looks at Ino and says "Yeah, normally I would be. But I guess the current situation has me feeling more melancholy and serious. Plus, I don't think its all sunk in yet."

_'Naruto?'_ thinks Kakashi, knowing his student well enough to know that something was bugging Naruto. Something serious. Once this meeting was over, they would need to have a talk.

"Anyways, here you go, your chunin vest" said Tsunade as she pulled the three gray vest out from the desk and hands them to the former genin. A few moments later, Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru were wearing their new chunin vest, a look that suited them well.

"Now, onto the second business" said Tsunade, who knew this might be the decision that the elders wouldn't like. "I have decided to officially end the kunoichi specific training and missions."

"Tsunade, now that's not something you can..." Homura starts to say, but Tsunade raises a hand and replies "I'll explain my reasons here in a second."

"What's so bad about these kunoichi specific training and missions?" asked Sakura.

"That's right, neither me nor Shizune have ever talked about them to you" said Tsunade as she looks at Sakura. "Basically, the training involves a kunoichi choosing a partner for herself who will then join her locked in isolation for one month. During this month, they are expected to have sex with each other for the sole purpose of helping the kunoichi become mentally fortified so she won't reveal critical secrets while in the throws of passion. The missions involve a kunoichi sleeping with a target in order to obtain critical information and her training insures she doesn't reveal any herself" explained Tsunade.

"That's disgusting. What kind of horrible person came up with that" said Sakura.

"Those were the times we lived in back in the past child. It was horrible, but it was also something that women could do that was definitely more efficient than men" said Koharu.

"And keep in mind we never forced our kunoichi into doing this. Both the training and the missions were all something they were willing to do for the sake of the villages prosperity" adds Homura.

"That's still disgusting" said Sakura as she looks away, secretly glad Tsunade was abolishing the practice as otherwise, it meant her new found life as a kunoichi was going to be short lived.

"In fact..." says Tsunade, wanting to lighten the mood a little. "It says here your special kunoichi training month was coming up, Ino. And the one you chose to be your partner was..."

Ino blushes madly as she waves her arms frantically and says in a panicked voice "Lady Tsunade, there's no reason to talk about that now, is there? I mean, if those training missions aren't going to be happening now, then no need to talk about what would have been, right?"

Both Kurenai and Asuma laugh and everyone else can't help but either chuckle or at least smirk at her reaction. Shikamaru really didn't care; noted by his yawn. But Naruto was curious. "So Ino, who did you chose if you don't mind my asking? After all, if I remember correctly, you could choose any ninja in the village, from either a fellow genin or a seasoned Jonin."

Ino's blush worsens as she looks at Naruto and says "None of your business, pervert."

Naruto scratches his head, then looks away. But Sakura can't help but notice Ino taking quick glances at Naruto now. _'Oh, I see how it is. At least I now know she won't be trying to win Sasuke for herself.'_

Tsunade smiles as well as she crumbles up the paper, then tosses it at Jiraiya who both catches it and burns it using a weak Flame Palm jutsu. She then turns to look at the advisers and says "My reasons for discontinuing the training and missions unique to kunoichi are these. Simply put, the missions have become the weakest form of getting information for our targets now."

"Back when the method was first conceived, genjutsu didn't exist. But now, genjutsu not only exist but has been perfected to were it can be used with a success rate that's over 80%. Furthermore, the Yaminaka Clan's mental manipulation jutsu is also a powerful tool to obtain information from a target. In comparison, asking and expecting a kunoichi to sleep with a target just to obtain information has not only become the weakest method, but it places the kunoichi in greater danger too from diseases" said Tsunade.

"You have a point" said Homura.

"Indeed. So what are your plans to replace it with?" asked Koharu.

"Kurenai, as the villages most skilled genjutsu master, would you be willing to training any kunoichi in the use of genjutsu as a replacement for their sex training?" asked Tsunade.

"If it's OK with my student, then yes. After all, until Ino makes Jonin, I am still honor bound to train only her unless she gives me her consent" was Kurenai's reply. Kakashi looks at Naruto, then away sadly at hearing that.

"Of course, sensei. For something this important, how could I say no" said Ino.

"Very good" said Tsunade. "I have also talked with Inochi Yaminaka and asked him if he would be willing to teach kunoichi their clans special mind reading jutsu. While he said he can't teach them all of the clan's secrets, he can see no harm in training all who are interested in the basics which, along with genjutsu, will make gathering information have a success rate of over 95%."

"Glad to hear it. If dad had said no, then I'd have to smack him one" said Ino, getting a nod from Sakura.

"Moving on, I have decided to add a new subdivision to Konoha's forces; the Medical Ninja Corps. I have placed Shizune in charge of this group with Sakura as he second."

"What purpose would this Corps have,lady Tsunade?" asked Kakashi.

"While it's a fact medical ninjutsu has been around for around forty years or so, I am currently unaware of any village, save for possibly Kiri, that have trained ninja who's jobs are first and foremost medical based. Given the losses we suffered over the last few days, having a team who focus first on healing the injured could help save a lot of lives in the future. Shizune, I want you to spread the word out amongst everyone in the village, both current ninja and civilians alike. If any wish to become full time medical ninja, then it will be up to you and Sakura to oversee their training and lead the force."

"Understood, lady Tsunade" said Shizune.

"Even the civilians, Tsunade?" asked Homura.

"Its possible some villagers didn't become ninja because they lacked the skills to fight. As a medical ninja is a healer first, it may give many a second chance at aiding the village" said Jiraiya, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began.

"That's true..." said Koharu, knowing that several villagers had failed to become shinobi in their youths do simply to not having any combat ability, despite having skilled chakra control.

"Now for the last piece of business. During the battle, we discovered that one of Orochimaru's allies might be a Kiri ninja" said Tsunade.

This catches everyone by surprise."Are you certain of this, lady Tsunade?" asked Asuma.

"Yes, Kakashi can verify seeing the forehead protector as well. Furthermore, we also believe Orochimaru may by the founder of the new sixth hidden village that's looking to gain acceptance as an official ninja village by the Grand Daimyo. While we can't be certain of anything yet as this could be one of Orochimaru's tricks, we have to consider we might be looking at a war between us and a Kiri/Oto alliance. So be prepared for anything in the near future. That is all" said Tsunade.

A few minutes later, everyone clears out of the Hokage's office so she could get to work on signing some papers she knew she would need to sign to officialize her plans. As the exit the tree the office was situated in, Kakashi says "Naruto, lets talk for a moment."

"OK, sensei" says Naruto as they walk to some place more private.

Once they were alone, Kakashi ask "Naruto, is something bothering you? While I can understand you wanting to be more serious right now given the current state of affairs, I would think even you would show a little more enthusiasm at becoming a chunin."

"I guess I do have a lot going on inside my head" said Naruto as he wondered if he could tell Kakashi about it. "Sensei, can you give me a little time to myself before I open up about this. I...I guess I just need some time to figure some stuff out before I can open up about it."

Kakashi nods as he places a hand on Naruto's shoulders. "Of course, Naruto. Just know I'm here for you."

"Thanks, sensei" said Naruto. He decides now is the time to bring it up. "Sensei, you taught Sasuke how to use your Lightning Blade, didn't you? Even though he calls it Chidori, its still virtually the same."

It looks like the truth was out. Kakashi looks at Naruto sadly and says "Naruto, I'm sorry. I..."

Naruto shakes his head and says "Don't be, Sasuke already gave me the four one one on why you did it. It was because you owed the Uchiha Clan a debt. And you always told me that ninja repay their debts. But I am a little confused on the details though."

Kakashi was impressed with Naruto's maturity and was happy that he wasn't mad or hurt. "It's a long story, one I'll tell you some day. But for now, go get some rest, Naruto. You look a little tired."

"Yeah, I am feeling a little drained. I think I will take it easy for the rest of the day. After all, I'm gonna go get Moegi in the morning so I better be well rested. Good night, Kakashi-sensei" said Naruto before he turns and walks away.

"Good night, Naruto" says Kakashi, who then mentally adds _'Thank you.'_

"Hey, Kakashi. Long time no see" comes a familiar voice from behind him. Kakashi turns and sees Guy and Lee standing a few feet away.

"It has been a long time, how have you been, Guy?" asked Kakashi.

"Oh, you know. The usual. Training myself from dawn until dusk to perfect my skills as a warrior. And I finally found my true calling in the form of being a Battle Monk" said Guy.

"A Battle Monk, huh? That does fit you better than a ninja life would. So, I hear you and your student will be sticking around a while to help us out" said Kakashi.

"That's right. It will give me a chance to catch up with some old friends, not to mention give my boy here some much needed teamwork training. Now, allow me to introduce my student. Rock Lee, this is Kakashi Hatake, my greatest friend and rival."

Lee steps forward and extends his hand "It is a honor to meet you sir."

Kakashi takes Lee's hand and says "Likewise."

"Who knows Kakashi, perhaps our students will share the same friendship and rivalry we had growing up. But I'm glad to know Naruto has yet to inherit your monotone persona" joked Guy.

"Perhaps not, but at least I haven't corrupted my young charge with "the Power of youth" like you have from what I hear" said Kakashi back.

Guy chuckles, then says "Kakashi, why don't we have a race around the village? For old times sakes."

Kakashi sighs as he knew this was coming. But he then smiles and says "Why not, might be fun."

Guy nods in agreement, then they both stand side by side together. "I'm assuming the same old rules still apply?" asked Kakashi.

"Yep, 500 laps while running on your hands. The first to make it wins but if you lose balance and fall, its an automatic defeat" replied Guy.

"Oh, can I join in too?" asked Lee excitedly.

"Of course boy, but don't expect to beat us experts" said Lee.

"Challenge accepted" said Lee.

"Alright, you two. We begin in three, two, one, GO" says Kakashi before all three flip up onto their hands and begin the run, earning many an odd look from the rest of the village. Though some remember this about Guy and can't help but smile at having him back, if only for a while.

**(later that night)**

Sasuke looked out at Senhana, marveling at the sight. He had heard stories of this place, but never actually thought he would ever see it. After all, the Uchiha and Senju had once been at odds with each other. So to not only see Senhana and actually be able to dwell here, if only for a time, was truly an honor.

"Sasuke, there you are. I've been looking for you" came a familiar voice from behind him.

Sasuke turned and saw Sakura, her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes filled with happiness. He nods and says "Its been a while, Sakura. I must admit, I was surprised when I saw you here defending Senhana."

"I was surprised to see you as well, despite being told by a friend with a gift for fortune telling saying I would see you before the next full moon. I wanted to come see you sooner, but with the funeral, the meeting with lady Tsunade, and the get together Shizune-sensei had us girls do afterwards, this was my first chance to actually look. So, how have you been?" asked Sakura.

"You know, just traveling around and learning more. The life of a Ronin is a lonely one after all. Truth be told, I'm actually starting to run out of teachers to learn from. The only area of Shumoa I have yet to look in is Shauti. But what about you? I hear you've been traveling with the new Hokage, learning about medical ninjutsu" said Sasuke.

"Yes, for a while now. I'm keeping my promise to you. I'm becoming strong and useful so I can repay you for saving me and the other girls that time" said Sakura.

"Sakura, I told you that wasn't necessary. Your grandfather has already given me something as a thank you; the Phoenix Armor jutsu. I don't want you to feel you have to put your life on hold just to repay me for something that isn't necessary" said Sasuke.

"But I want to" said Sakura in earnest, surprising Sasuke. "My learning about medical ninjutsu, and even me now becoming a kunoichi of Konoha, is more than just wanting to help you. Sure, that's a really big reason, but I have also realized that it can help me to help other people as well. It gives my life a purpose. Without them, I'd be just another girl sitting around waiting to marry and have children."

"Well, if you're sure. Then that's fine" said Sasuke, who honestly found Sakura conforming quietly to the role of a wife and mother a little hard. After all, she was to feisty to not have a little adventure in her life.

"Also, since lady Tsunade has scrapped the kunoichi specific missions, I won't have to worry about sleeping with the enemies to obtain info for the village" said Sakura.

"I'll bet your grandfather will be happy to hear that. But I am curious as to how you convinced him to let you learn medical ninjutsu and how he reacted to you becoming a ninja. If memory serves, he wasn't to keen on you living this life" said Sasuke.

Sakura looks away sadly, finding her eyes beginning to water. "Yeah, about that...grandpa...he's gone. He died shortly after you left."

"Sakura, I'm sorry. If I had known, I..." said Sasuke, now feeling a little awkward.

"Truth was, he was sick...had been for sometime. He just never let me see it" said Sakura before sniffling. Why was this happening now? She was with Sasuke. This was suppose to be a happy moment. Hadn't she cried her tears for her grandpa? Perhaps...

"Sakura, are you OK?" asked Sasuke as he approached her and placed an hand on her shoulder.

Sakura looks into his eyes as tears begin streaming down her face. "Sasuke..." She then throws herself at him, hugging Sasuke with all her might as she cries into his chest. "Oh Sasuke, I miss him so much. Why didn't he tell me? Maybe I could have..."

Sasuke found himself unsure of what to do. After all, his training up to now hadn't prepared him for something like this. But he chose to follow his instincts and wrapped Sakura in a hug, which in term made her hug him harder. Sasuke then rubbed a hand up and down her back.

"Sasuke, can I stay with you, stay like this, forever?" asked Sakura.

When he had been younger, before that fated day, his mother had talked to him about girls. Sasuke, at the time, wasn't really interested in girls. But his mothers words had made him ask how he would know if he ever found the girl who could be his soul mate. The words she said; what emotions he was feeling now, were the same thing. Did this mean, Sakura was his soul mate?

"Forever" said Sasuke simply as he closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head in comfort.

A little ways above them, Jiraiya smiled before turning his gaze to the sky. It looked like the Uchiha Clan had found its new mother. "Master Jiraiya, there you are" said Shizune. "Enjoying the breeze?"

"Actually, I was listening to a very heart felt moment below" said Jiraiya as he points down.

Shizune looks down, then smiles and says "I'm happy for Sakura. She finally had her hearts desire by her side. You aren't planning on use this in a book, are you?"

Jiraiya chuckled and said "You never know. After all, moments like these can lead to more intimate moments between two who care for one another. Changing the subject, I heard Sakura say you called a secret meeting with all the kunoichi after Tsunade's meeting. Was it anything important or is it none of my business?"

Shizune blushes, then says "Well, since kunoichi no longer have to use their bodies for the sake of the village, we all decided how best to aid the village now. Us older kunoichi have decided to find partners and become pregnant; giving birth to the next generation. Naturally, not all of us at once. We drew lots based on a yearly cycle. Me, Kurenai, and a kunoichi name Sana are up first."

"Wow, that's unexpected. How does Tsunade feel about that?" asked Jiraiya.

"Actually, I haven't told her yet. I was, but she's having herself a little drinking party now and you know how she is when she's drunk" said Shizune.

Jiraiya laughs and says "You could say I do. She was glad someone left a lot of booze inside the isolation room we had when I was helping her train for her kunoichi life. I'm still surprised she chose me though."

Shizune felt that telling Jiraiya the truth, that him being chosen was simply an error would be mean, so she decided to remain silent there. "This plan works for Kurenai who admitted to me she and Asuma had been having a secret affair with each other for some time now and had been wanting to start a family together. Now, they finally can and out in the open too."

"Glad to hear it. So, what about you, Shizune? Since you took part in drawing lots, I assume that means you'll be doing it to? So who's the lucky guy, huh?" asked Jiraiya.

Shizune looks away for a second, then back to Jiraiya with a blush on her cheeks. "You, master Jiraiya." Then, before Jiraiya can react, she rises herself up and presses her lips to his.

When Shizune pulls away, Jiraiya is stunned. Sure, he knew she might have a bit of a crush on him from her childhood. But still, to choose him over someone younger and more fitting? "Shizune..."

"I love you, master Jiraiya. I have for a long time, ever since you saved me from nearly falling to my death over that waterfall. There was a time I thought I had gotten over you, but seeing you again in Takeihama made me remember. Please, accept me" asked Shizune.

"Shizune..." said Jiraiya, stunned. "I'm honored that you feel that way, but are you sure its me you really want? I mean, I'm nearly old enough to be your father. And there are better men out there than me. After all, I am a pervert and all."

"I don't mind the age thing, seeing as its only twenty years. We're both adults. And I like the fact you have a super perverted side. It can make a relationship more kinky" said Shizune. "And just so you know, had I ever undergone the kunoichi training, you would have been my first choice. Also, that was my first kiss too."

He could tell that there was no deterring her in this. Her heart had set itself onto him. He remembered what Tsunade had told him once._ 'Don't let any lingering feelings for me stop you from finding happiness elsewhere, Jiraiya. You have a right to leave a legacy behind and I'm to stuck on Dan to help you. Promise me, if love is ever offered to you. You'll do the right thing and embrace it.'_

Jiraiya reaches out and takes Shizune into a hug, one she eagerly returns. "I'm not worthy of someone like you, Shizune. But I promise I'll try to be."

"As far as I'm concerned, you already are, master Jiraiya."

Jiraiya pulls her away, looks into her eyes, then leans in and kisses her deeply. Shizune returns to kiss and they remained locked together for several moments. They then break apart and Shizune hugs herself against his arm as they head back to Jiraiya's room. Once they were there and inside, Jiraiya creates a sound suppression jutsu, just to make sure they could have a little privacy.

High above them, at the top of Senhana, was Naruto who was laying on his back within the crows nest looking up at the starlit sky and the moon shining back down at him. His mind was troubled as he found himself conflicted over what he had to do. He raised his right hand up into the sky and held it between him and the moon, casting a shadow over him as he remembered.

It had begun during the Shadow Test, within the Makai Realm, when he had first lost control. Then, when he and Lee had their sparring session. Then while battling the Paserisite with Yoh. The moment his powers had come out when he met Moegi, though that might have simply been a natural reaction there. And then there was the several moments here during the battle for Senhana, including when he did lose control facing Orochimaru. And that man's words came to mind.

"_Do you really think you can control it? Won't kill everyone?"_

Naruto clenched his fist in anger, knowing that Orochimaru was right. "This can't go on" said Naruto solemnly, knowing now what it was he needed to do.

**(early the next morning)**

Tsunade grumbled and found herself again making a mental reminder to cut back on excessive drinking. Those hang overs were a bitch to be had. She was reading through the mission request as it was time to get her ninja back to work and thinking of would be right to send. She sees one mission that would be a good test for Konoha's three newest Chunin.

The door opens and Shizune comes walking in. "Morning, Tsunade."

Tsunade looks up, noticing the exhaustion in Shizune's voice. Seeing her young student made her eyes go wide. Shizune, are you OK? You look ragged?"

Shizune smiles, a smile Tsunade had never seen her give before, a smile she knew all to well for what it meant. "I just had a long, pleasure...I mean intense...that is...I didn't get much sleep."

_'Shizune, you little minx. So who's the lucky guy?' _wondered Tsunade, who then has a thought.

"Are those the missions to be handed out today?" asked Shizune as she yawns, then walks over to the desk.

Tsunade nods and, as Shizune reads them over, ask "So, I see Jiraiya has improved his technique."

"You can say...I mean" said Shizune, cursing herself for being so careless.

Tsunade laughs and says "So my precious little Shizune finally got the balls to tell Jiraiya just how she feels about him. And her courage was rewarded with a night she won't ever forget. Just don't be surprised if your first time ends up in one of his books."

"I don't mind being in his books seeing as the first isn't going to be the last" said Shizune, figuring that hiding it now was pointless. She then blushes and says "Jealous?"

Tsunade laughs and says "Never, but this calls for a celebrator drink." As she begins digging through her desk, she hands Shizune one of the mission request and ask "So, how do you feel about this one for Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru's first chunin ranked mission?"

Before Shizune can respond, the door opens and Kakashi steps into the room. "I'm afraid Naruto won't be able to join in."

"Kakashi, what do you mean?" asked Tsunade before seeing Kakashi was holding Naruto's chunin vest and forehead protector with one hand and a note in the other. He hands to note to Tsunade who quickly unfolds and reads it while Shizune moves to better see its contents herself.

"Naruto's gone" said Kakashi sadly.

And hour later, Jiraiya, Ino and Shikamaru had been called in so they could hear this as well. "Sorry guys, I know this is sudden and I really should have said something first. At least said goodbye, but I feared that if I did, then it would make my decision harder to carry through with. The reason why I'm leaving is because I've come to realize that something is wrong with Kyubi's chakra. Ever since the Makai Realm incident, there have been episodes were it has tried to force its way out and has even caused me to freeze up as it does so. If I stay here while this problem persist, then I would only be a threat to everyone."

"Why didn't I say anything? Because I knew there was no one who could help me with this problem. Lets face it, if even pervy sage can't help Moegi by giving her seal a permanent fix, then what hope is there for me? To that end, I'll be taking Moegi and looking for someone who can help us. But I promise we will return one day. Until then, stay safe. And thank you for all you did for me."

"Until we meet again, Naruto" finished reading Tsunade.

"That idiot, why couldn't he just tell us" shouts Ino before attempting to make a mental connection with Naruto through their psychic link, but getting no reply from him.

"Because it was hard for him just like it hard for us now" said Shikamaru, though it didn't make Ino happier.

"Jiraiya, was Naruto right?" asked Kakashi.

"I've had a chance to see the seal Minato placed on him. The 8 Tetragram Seal is unlock any I have ever seen. I would need years of research to full understand it. But from what I could tell, the seal was intact. So if it isn't then seal, then Naruto may have been right about my inability to help." said Jiraiya.

"Then all we can do now his wish him and Moegi luck on the journey, and hope the return to us soon" said Ino.

**(Temple of Ama)**

"Thanks for taking care of Moegi for me" said Naruto to Sakuya.

Sakuya nods and says "Of course, it was our pleasure. I assume everything back in your village is fine?"

"We lost many good ninja, but it could have been worse too" said Naruto.

"So what happens now?" asked Tenten.

"I...I'm taking Moegi with me on a special mission I've been given. Nothing dangerous but also nothing I can't talk about either" said Naruto, not wanting to reveal his leaving to Hinata as it would worry her.

"I understand" said Sakuya.

Hinata had remained quiet, but there was something in Naruto's tone that made her worry. But then suddenly, she felt something come rushing over her and take control. "Naruto" she said in a low monotone voice.

"What's up, Hina..." was all Naruto could say before Hinata kiss's him. For a second, Naruto is surprised till the world around him fades to black. Then, the ghostly figure of a girl appears and approaches you.

"Who are you? What's going on?" demands Naruto.

The ghost girl doesn't answer, but instead stands before Naruto and presses her forehead to Naruto's and in an instant, images pass into Naruto and he knows what it is he must do. "We'll be waiting" said the ghost of Fuu before Naruto found himself back in reality and Hinata broke the kiss.

Hinata blinks in confusion as she realizes she's directly in front of Naruto. _'Huh, what's going on? How did I get so close to...'_ "Hey Hinata, pretty bold of you to kiss Naruto in front of all of us" says Tenten, making Hinata blush madly as she quickly looks at her.

Now embarrassed, Hinata's face goes full red and she looks back at Naruto, says "Ah...good luck, Naruto", then bolts back into the temple. Tenten says "Well lover boy, keep in touch", then runs after Hinata, not wanting to waste an opportunity to tease her.

"What am I going to do with them? Well Naruto, Moegi, good luck" said Sakuya. Naruto nods and, with Moegi piggy backing him, turns and heads out. Once they were far enough away, Sakuya makes a motion and a girl dressed in a modified Slayer outfit appears. "Follow them. If Moegi is a Jinchuriki, then report back to me immediately." The girl nods before stealthily following after them.

**Next time: path to the sanctuary, the waterfall, and to know your other self**


	54. 54 Jinchuriki 3

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.54: Jinchuriki 3-Mirror Mirror**

The sound of Moegi's light breathing against his back as she slept made Naruto smile a little. Was this how it felt to be a big brother? Maybe even a father? It was a nice feeling. It made him hate himself even more though to have to wake her up now.

Shaking her gently, Naruto says "Hey Moegi, its time to wake up."

It took several seconds, but the young girl finally begin to stir. "Nar...u" she said sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry to wake you, but we're here" said Naruto before turning his attention to their current location.

They stood at the edge of a giant lake that sat at the base of a large cliff face. The roar of the beautiful waterfall at the lakes north end and the rainbow it was creating were very hard to not notice. "Pretty" said Moegi as she looked wide eyed at the sight.

"It is, isn't it. Now, lets get moving" said Naruto as he stepped out onto the water, using his chakra to stay atop the water.

Off to the side, hidden well within the bush's was the Slayer Sakuya had sent to follow them. Here name was Kita and she was one of Sakuya's seven Shades who personally served her orders above any other, even Chiyo's. In fact, Chiyo was unaware that Sakuya had her own personal force that served one purpose; absolute Jinchuriki eradication by any means necessary.

_'Odd, why come here of all places? Is there some sort of secret ninja base located here?' _wondered Kita who was beginning to feel that maybe Moegi was just some odd little girl who had suffered a rough life, not a dangerous Jinchuriki.

Naruto came to a stop before the waterfall, then locked his gaze upon the center. Moegi cocked her head to the side in confusion and asked "Why stop?"

"If our instructions were correct, we have to wait for a sign" said Naruto, never taking his eyes off the falls.

"Sign?" asked Moegi.

"Why are they waiting?" wondered Kita quietly aloud as she was to far away and the roar of the falls to loud to make it possible to hear either Naruto or Moegi.

Naruto was beginning to wonder just how long they would have to wait, but it was luckily not long. A circle of light was slowly begging to form, just like the girl had instructed. _'Just a few more moments' _thinks Naruto as the circle of light begins to take on a shape.

"Moegi, hold on. I have no idea what to expect when we go in" said Naruto to Moegi.

"OK" replied Moegi as she latched onto Naruto as tightly as she could.

A few moments later, the light within the water takes on a star shape which then begins to spin around rapidly. "And here we go" said Naruto as he jumps through the water.

"Where are you two going?" wondered Kita as she slowly comes out of hiding and makes her way over to where Naruto and Moegi had been as stealthily as she can. The next step was going to be risky as it could expose her to Naruto. But its not like he had ever seen the Slayer garment before, so she could weasel her way out with an explanation.

She jumps through the waterfall only to impact against stone that barely allowed room to stand without getting drenched by the water. "What the hell? Where did they go?" says Kita before pressing her hand to the stone, searching for any hidden switch that could reveal a secret door.

But despite her best efforts, she could find no switch or even a hidden door. Passing through the cascading waters back out onto the lake, she looks around and finds no trace of Naruto or Moegi. Had they sensed her presence and had tricked her, alluded her?

"Lady Sakuya isn't going to like this" says Kita before heading back towards the Temple

**(as for Naruto and Moegi...)**

From Naruto's perspective, the first thing he saw upon jumping through the waterfall was unending blackness. Then, he found himself shooting skyward...really, really fast. Within the blink of an eye, he was so high up that the world they called home seemed rather small. And then he found himself racing across the globe, heading far north before he sent flying towards the earth; a field of white.

"Ow, what the hell was that?" shouts Naruto as he finds himself laying on his back, looking skyward. "Moegi?" says Naruto as he sits up quickly and looks around, finding Moegi laying on her stomach a few feet away.

Naruto moves to her, then gives her a light shake. "Moegi, are you OK?"

Moegi groans before she opens her eyes and looks at Naruto. "Rough landing?"

Naruto smiles as he pats her head. "I agree." He then gets on his feet and helps Moegi to her's, then they both take a good look around.

The ground was covered in snow and the trees that were to both sides of them appeared to be frozen over. Behind them was a large pool and Naruto assumed, from the ripples that kept pulsing in it, that they had somehow arrived through that despite what he had seen previously.

"Hello, is anyone here?" shouts Naruto.

For a second, Naruto gets no response. But then he gets his answer. But not in the form of a voice but a feeling, an impression, that was calling them both to proceed further in. Moegi takes Naruto's hand and they begin walking down the path to their unknown destination.

As they walk, Naruto realizes something odd. "It's not cold here. Despite their being snow on the ground and the trees are frozen, it feels more like spring time. Talk about weird."

After a minute of walking, the line of trees open outwards into a large circular area that was blocked off on the far side by a large wall of stone. And two their right was a small shed sized building that appeared to be made of the frozen wood of the trees.

Coming to a stop, Naruto shouts "Hello, is anyone here? I...um...got your message."

There is no response and for several minutes, Naruto just stands there with Moegi, growing impatient. Finally, Naruto sighs and says "Is anyone really here? Am I really going to have to go to Kumo after all?"

Naruto's original plan, before arriving at the Temple of Ama, had been to accept the offer of Yugito and Bee had made him and the other Jinchuriki during the Shadow Test. Though he wasn't happy about that seeing as he would likely be forced to become a Kumo nin in return for their help. At the time, they were the only option he knew he really had. Luckily, this alternative had come up. But would it bear fruit?

"Naruto?" asked Moegi, wondering why they were just standing there.

"I guess we have to go to Kumo after all" said Naruto as he prepared to turn and leave.

"Now, now, there will be no need for that" came the voice of an old woman.

Naruto turned to look at the shed as he finally heard footsteps walking up a flight of stairs. And after a moment, the door to the shed swings open and a green haired, dark skinned girl steps out; the same girl who had before appeared to Naruto as a ghost in that message he got when Hinata had kissed him. And then, right behind her was an old woman; a really, really old woman from the looks of it, walking with a cane. The two came to a stop just a few feet away from Naruto and Moegi.

"Sorry for making you wait, child. We honestly weren't expecting you to arrive for at least another hour or so. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Mada, elder sage to the crystal forest called Sanctuary."

"And I am Fuu, you Jinchuriki sister in this life" said Fuu before making a humorous salute.

"You're a Jinchuriki too?" said Naruto in surprise.

Fuu nods and says "Yep, I'm Jinchuriki to the Shichibi or Seven Tailed Biju just as you, Naruto are the bearer of Kyubi's Nine Tailed power and Moegi is the keeper of the power of Sanbi, the Three Tailed."

"Oh, OK. Nice to meet you both. Wait, you said crystal forest? So the trees aren't covered in ice after all?" asked Naruto.

Mada shakes her head and says "Nope, pure crystal."

"But how is that possible? And while were on the subject of possible, just how can their be snow on the ground when it feels like spring time weather?" asked Naruto.

Mada crosses her hands over her chest and gives him a sage like nod. "Yes, it is quite the conundrum. Surely, this sacred land that birth the seed that is the heart of Senhana is filled with many mysteries."

"And something tells me you know each and every secret this place has to offer. So spill it already" shouts Naruto, already feeling like he wasn't going to like this Mada woman.

Mada gives him a raspberry, making Fuu looked at her with a shocked expression. "Grandma, that's not right. Please act your age."

"Boy, you really won't let me have any fun, will you?" pouts Mada. Fuu just eyes her evilly, then looks at Naruto who gives her a sympathetic look over what she obviously had to deal with.

"Alright, enough fooling around. After all, you came here for a reason, am I right Naruto?" asked Mada, becoming serious all of a sudden.

"Yeah, that's right. But just how do you know both my and Moegi's names? And how and why did you leave that message with Hinata for me not to mention when? And about this place..."

Mada raises her hand, making Naruto stop. "First, I've known about you and Moegi for a long time. In fact, I've known about Moegi long before you did. I would have rescued here from that island myself if I didn't already know you'd find her and that there was a purpose in that."

"What do you mean by a purpose?" asked Naruto.

Mada smiles and says "Don't you already know? To find yourself a sister; the last legacy left by Zabuza and Haku."

_'So Moegi really is Zabuza's daughter and a relative of Haku's' _thought Naruto as he looks at her.

"Grandma asked me to leave a message to you with Hinata as she foresaw a day where you would leave Konoha because of were having control issues with you Jinchuriki power. I met with her and placed the message within her mind that would in turn be given to you when the time was right" said Fuu.

"OK, but was the kiss really necessary for the delivery?" asked Naruto, not that he minded it.

Fuu blushes and says "Not really. Just simple eye contact would have been enough. But at the time, I figured yours and her's relationship could use a little boost. Turns out it wasn't needed after all, seeing you claimed her first kiss that night in Wave."

Naruto blushes as he remembers the events of that night. "And as for when I passed the message to her? It was while you were away at the Shadow Test" said Fuu.

"And as far as this place goes? Both that and the mystery as to exactly how I knew about the both of you will become more clear as time goes on. But for now, what do you say we begin working on both your little problems?" said Mada.

"So you can help us?" asked Naruto.

"I have no doubt I can help Moegi. As for you, Naruto. Well, that will depend on you" said Mada.

"Depend on me? Just what does that..." Naruto stops and shakes his head. "Never mind that question for now. Tell me how you can help Moegi."

"Bring her over to me and have her lay down on her back. I want to have a look at her seal" said Mada.

Naruto nods and brings Moegi over as told. Once Moegi is laying down on the ground with Naruto kneeling beside her, holding her hand, Mada reaches out and lifts her shirt up so she can look at the seal placed upon her.

"Oh boy" she sighs while rubbing her forehead. "Talk about a shoddy job. Who ever placed this seal on her is obviously an idiot. And this seal enhancement seal? Was this really the best that perverted toad sage could do? Oh well, guess its the best a B-rank sealer can do."

"Huh, B-Ranked? Don't go insulting pervy sage like that" shouts Naruto.

Mada smiles at him and says "Now don't misunderstand me. As far as sealing experts go, Jiraiya is definitely one of the best out there in Shumoa. But if we were to judge his skill by the standards set by the lost Uzumaki clan, then he would be ranked as either a high B or low A-rank."

"Wait, are you a member of the Uzumaki Clan?" asked Naruto.

Mada chuckles, saying "Not exactly. But to say that I do have a connection with them wouldn't be a lie. If anything, you are more connected to the clan than I am."

"Huh? So you mean my having Uzumaki as my last name isn't just a coincidence?" asked Naruto.

"Oops, I'm getting ahead of myself. We'll talk about that later. Think of that as a reward to look forward to IF you pass your trial. Right now, lets focus on Moegi" said Mada.

While Naruto was now curious about both his possible connection to the Uzumaki Clan and this trial Mada spoke of, he nods and says "Your right. So, can you help her?"

"I can say yes. Luckily for us, I just so happen to know a lot of exclusive and unique sealing arts created by the Uzumaki. And fixing the seal on Moegi should be easy enough" said Mada, who then looks at Moegi and says "Brace yourself, OK. This is gonna feel a little weird."

Mada then presses her hand together, causing the right hand to glow with chakra. Then, without making any hand signs, she presses her right hand lightly against the seal on Moegi, which then lights up. The original seal then begins to spin in a clockwise motion while Jiraiya's seal begins to spin in a counter clockwise motion. The spinning becomes faster and faster and Moegi begins to whimper, her grip on Naruto's hand tightening.

"Almost there" says Mada as the glow on the two seals intensifies.

And then, the two seals shrink in, then burst back up in the form of a new seal that takes it place upon her. Moegi's eyes go wide, then she passes out as the glow on the new seal fades. "Moegi..." shouts Naruto in a concerned tone.

"She's alright" says Fuu, running her fingers through Moegi's hair. "Just passed out."

"She'll remain asleep for about a day or so as her body adapts to the change in relationship between her normal chakra and Sanbi's chakra. When she awakens, she'll be a lot stronger and it will be easier for her to adapt and learn; to be able to live a normal life again" said Mada.

Naruto looks at Moegi with relief and says "I'm glad you'll be fine now, little sister."

"Now then, about you" said Fuu, getting Naruto's attention.

"It's time to begin your trial" said Mada as she stood up, as did Fuu.

"Will Moegi be alright if we leave her alone?" asked Naruto as he stands as well.

"Considering only the four of us are here, a long ways away from civilization of any kind, and the fact there are very few in the world who even know Sanctuary ever exist, I'd say so" said Fuu as she and Mada begin moving towards the wall of stone. Naruto reluctantly follows.

"So, why did you call it a trial?" asked Naruto.

"As I'm sure you yourself figured out, the problem you face isn't with the seal, otherwise you would have told Jiraiya about this. Instead, the problem is something more internal" said Mada.

"OK, just how do you know all of this?" asked Naruto.

"I make it my business to know. Just like I know this issue started because within the Makai Realm when you entered Mazuko Mode" said Mada as she came to a stop before the wall of stone.

"So just what is happening to me?" asked Naruto.

"Because you entered Mazuko Mode within the Makai Realm before you had mastered your Biju power, the act of calling upon a Biju's power triggered the darkness within your heart to gain consciousness within you. Ever since then, it has been trying to take control of you whenever you were in a battle situation. After all, battles do make it easier for the worst in us to come to the surface" explained Mada.

"My darkness...?" says Naruto in a low voice. "So, just how do I deal with this problem?"

Mada raises her cane up and presses it against the stone wall, which causes glowing lines to appear and trace themselves around in the shape of a door, which then fades as does the inner stone to reveal a secret passageway.

"Beyond this passage is the Chamber of Self. Enter Naruto and sit upon the mound of earth at the center of the room; close your eyes and reach inward. You will find your dark side within, waiting for you. In order to escape his attempts to gain control over you, you must battle him, beat him, and reabsorb him into yourself again. Only then, can you truly regain control" explained Mada.

"That's it? Seems easy enough" said Naruto.

"Don't get cocky now" said Fuu, getting his attention. "Your darkness will be as strong as you and possess the same fighting style and jutsu as you do. And because he is all your negative features mashed together, don't expect him to give you a fair fight."

"I know" said Naruto. He then looks at Mada and ask "Just out of curiosity, what will happen if I lose?"

"If that does happen, then your darkness will gain control over the physical body while you become the suppressed within him. It's likely then that this dark Naruto will act out on all the dark impulses you yourself had felt over your life thus far, even the ones you can't bring yourself to acknowledge you've had" said Mada with a serious tone.

Naruto is wide eyed at hearing that. He knew, as a kid, there had been a few times he he found himself thinking about wanting to get revenge against the villagers for the things they would say, for the isolation he had suffered. Those were thoughts and feelings he regretted having, even if only for a moment. "Then I can't fail this."

"That's why you'll be doing this within the chamber, Naruto" said Fuu.

Naruto looks at her and ask "What do you mean?"

"Well, the chamber is designed to do more than just allow the trial. If you fail and the darkness gains control, then the chamber will immediately seal itself off from the rest of the world and...well, lets just say it will purge the darkness from you itself" said Fuu.

"So even if I fail, it'll be fine?" asked Naruto.

"If by fine you mean you'll be dead, then yes. Because that's how the chamber will purge you of darkness; through your death" said Fuu.

Naruto turns and looks at the passage and says "All the more reason why I can't fail. After all, I still have things I need to do." And with that, Naruto steps forward and entered the passage.

"Good luck" said Fuu as Naruto disappears from sight.

Mada doesn't say anything, but says a silent prayer all the same for him.

Naruto enters the passage and makes his way through the darkness. Soon, the light from the outside behind him couldn't be seen and he wondered just how long this walk was going to talk. As if to answer his question, he finally saw a glimmer of light before him. As he got closer to this light, he found he could hear water falling. Finally, he passed through a waterfall and entered into a small circular room with waterfalls encompassing the entire circle; flooding into a small pool that never seemed to overflow from the constant cascade.

"And I thought the weird weather within the Sanctuary was odd" said Naruto. Taking a deep breath, he steps forward and upon the small mound of earth at the center of the circle. Hearing a noise, Naruto looks back and sees the opening behind the falls closing up.

"I guess the only way out now is to win" says Naruto before becoming serious. "Time to get to work."

Naruto then sits cross legged upon the mound, takes several deep breaths, then closes his eyes and puts all his focus into the seal. After a moment, he finds himself falling deep into himself. But unlike past excursions into the seal, something about this dive felt different than the past ones. Was it because of this dark Naruto he was supposedly about to face or was it due to being in the Chamber of Self?

One way or the other, he was about to find out.

Opening his eyes, Naruto found himself beside the lake where Kyubi's power was hidden within. He takes a look around the dreary landscape and finds nothing had changed since his previous visits, which was disappointing. Furthermore, there was no sign of any Naruto copy. Not sure what else to do, Naruto steps onto the water and begins walking towards the small shrine at the center of the lake which acted as his Biju chakra channeling point.

But as he gets half way their, a weird ripple within the water makes him stop. **"So, it has finally come down to this, huh Naruto?"**

Naruto's head jerk from side to side, looking for the source of the voice which was so very much like his, but colder and more filled with anger and hate. **"Down here."**

Naruto looks down and sees his reflection. But his reflection was different than him. The other Naruto then chuckles evilly as he leans forward and falls upward out of the water. He then grins at Naruto and says **"Nice to meet you, Mr. Goody Two-shoes. Call me Yami, your better half from the dark."**

Naruto takes a moment to study this Yami guy. He was the spitting image of Naruto, which was to be expected. But his skin was clammy and pale; almost sickly even. And his eyes, though still blue like his, were giving off an icy cold feeling and his eyeball was black in color, not white.

"So, you're the source behind my recent control issues during battle?" said Naruto in a serious tone.

Yami takes a bow, a big smile to show the pride he was feeling. **"That was pretty fun, wasn't it. To bad you had to be such a party pooper and not let me have control. We could have had a blast together, killing everyone and everything in sight."**

"Like I would let that happen" says Naruto.

"**But you almost did, back in Senhana. Remember? Several times in fact"** points out Yami. He then laughs hard and says **"Face it, another episode and I would have finally gotten out. But isn't that why you came here, to keep that from ever happening."**

"So you know, I'm here to bring you back under control" said Naruto.

Yami grins and says **"Of course I know. After all, everything you know I know. So, what do you say we get started. After all, all this talk is just so boring."  
**

"Fine with me" said Naruto as he takes up a battle stance.

Yami chuckles before leaping into the air, breaking into a rapid as he goes sailing at Naruto, who brings both arms up, blocking the powerful kick Yami brings smashing down at him. The force of the impact actually causes Naruto's feet to sink ankle deep into the water and causing the water around them to blast outward. Naruto growls he he pushes Yami back off him, but Yami flips in mid-motion, landing on his feet, then sends a equally devastating kick that, though Naruto is still able to brings his arms in to block, send Naruto blasting back, his motion creating trailing waves to his sides.

Naruto impacts with the shoreline, leaving a deep ditch which he quickly picks himself up from to see Yami was already racing at him. Naruto takes a step back, then bounds forward at Yami and throws a fake punch that Yami falls for. Instead of punching him, Naruto instead opens his hand at the last moment and grabs Yami's shoulders; then forces him to leans forward while sending his right knee rocketing upwards, making a powerful impact against Yami's lower jaw.

Yami roars as his hands immediately goes to his jaw and Naruto uses the moment to use a move Lee had once used on him that he had both remembered and been practicing. Naruto lowers himself down, then punches Yami hard in the stomach to make him bend forward, then sends a kick upwards, clocking Yami, and sending him skyward. Naruto then leaps up after him, passing him, then forms a Rasengan in his hand. Before Yami can react, Naruto slams the Rasengan into him, blowing him right back down and sending him deep beneath the water with a deafening explosion that creates an impressive geyser from Yami's impact with the water.

Naruto lands back on the solid earth, then quickly begins to scan the area. He knew that his dark side wouldn't be defeated so easily. _'Where are you? I know you're coming'_ thinks Naruto. The sudden sound of bubbles from the water catch his attention and he turns to the source, ready for the next attack.

Yami comes flying out of the water with a Rasengan of his own. But Naruto is able to dodge the attack, then grabs his hand and twist it enough to make the Rasengan instead hit him instead. Yami cries out in pain for a second, then burst into smoke. _'Damn, that was a Shadow Clone' _thinks Naruto, cursing himself for not seeing that coming.

"**Fair's fair" **says Yami suddenly, slamming a Rasengan into Naruto's back before he can react to Yami's voice. Naruto is sent rocketing forward, back onto the water, but is able to just barely right himself and spin around to face Yami who is already charging at him.

Naruto and Yami then begin exchanging a series of fast and furious punches and kicks, both landing and dodging hits with equal skill and precision. Then, they both form Rasengan and slam the spiral chakra spheres against one another. The power of the two are equal and they are both sent flying away from each other. Naruto ends up back on the shore while Yami finds himself next to the shrine.

"This is starting to get annoying" says Naruto as he uses his thumb to swipe away the blood from the cut on his lip.

Yami chuckles and says **"You know, we're gonna be at this all day at this rate. So, what do you say we up the ante a little bit?"**

"What did you have a mind?" asked Naruto, agreeing about this battle likely would last a long time.

"**We both tap into Kyubi's power. In the end, that's the only way we'll ever truly know who's stronger" **said Yami.

"No thanks. I'm confident I can beat you with just my power alone" said Naruto before taking on another battle pose.

"**Are you sure about that?" **asked Yami before spinning around and inserting his hand into the small shrine. A blast of demonic chakra erupts from the lake as Yami enters Mazuko Mode.

"**What about now?" **asked Yami.

Naruto closes his eyes for a second, then says "No, I will defeat you even without Kyubi's power."

Yami sighs and says **"Suit yourself. But if you change your mind, let me know. I may be all evil and darkness, but I will be nice enough to let you access this power."**

Yami then takes a step forward, an act that causes the whole lake the ripple violently before he disappears, reappearing almost instantly before Naruto and sending a punch hitting Naruto in the gut with more force than any he had ever felt before. His flight through the air is so fast that it creates sound, but Yami then appears, grabs him, then flips him over into the air and slams him into the ground.

The impact makes an alarming amount of blood shoot from Naruto's mouth as Yami laughs and punches Naruto multiple times before launching him into the air. Yami then shoots up after him, grabs him, then plants a Rasengan into him that sends Naruto spinning towards the shrine.

Naruto skids and skips across the water, stopping just an inch from the shrine as Yami had already caught up with him and stopped his motion. He then jumps back and watch's as Naruto's motionless body bobs up and down in the water, showing no signs of life.

"**Don't tell me I killed you? Man, and here I wanted a battle between us in Mazuko Mode too. Oh well, maybe those two from Kumo can placate me there"** grumbled Yami.

"Not...over" gurgled Naruto before slowly picking himself up from the water. It was safe to say he wasn't in good shape as he was bleeding badly at several points and he was sure he had some broken bones. Maybe even some internal bleeding.

Yami looks at him and says **Oh goodie, you're still alive. I was worried there for a second." **He then becomes serious while pointing at the shrine and says **"Do it. You know its your only chance here. Or do I have to beat that truth into some more?"**

Naruto surprises Yami by smiling and says "Don't start getting cocky now. You haven't beaten me yet."

"**You can't be serious here? Don't tell me you actually think you can somehow defeat me without Kyubi's power? You can even protect yourself from any of my attacks, let alone counter attack."**

Naruto simply laughs weakly and says "I know it's idiotic of me, but yeah, I do think I can beat you, even without Mazuko Mode."

"**You're starting to irritate me,. Do you really think your puny light alone can defeat me? Don't forget, you have been more dark in your life than not or have you forgotten your life before becoming a Genin?"**

Yami's words do make memories of his past flash through Naruto's mind. It was true. Growing up, Naruto had been plenty anger, jealous, and other such negative thoughts and feelings. He really had been more dark than light.

"**Remember, my power comes from all the darkness in your life combined together. In comparison to that, the light within you is such a small and puny thing. It could never beat me."**

"You're right, Yami. Compared to the darkness of me that you represent, my light alone is nothing" said Naruto, making Yami smile.

_**'Heh, I've won this contest' **_thinks Yami as he steps forward so he can touch Naruto, absorb him into himself and thus become the one true Naruto.

But just as Yami's outstretched hand can touch Naruto, he hears Naruto say "However...", making his motion stop. "My light isn't the only light within me."

Then, to Yami's surprise, images of many people begin to appear around them. Kakashi, Ino, Shikamaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, Guy, Lee, Sasuke, Yoh, Tamao, Kiba, Choji, and many others are seen as Yami spins around to see them all. And when his eyes fall back onto Naruto, he finds Hinata standing between them. **"What the hell is this?" **he shouts.

"During my life, I have made many friends. Friends who have shared some of their light with me just as I have shared mine with each of them. Only, my light is nothing. But I'm not alone. Because they are with me and will always be with me through all the days of my life" says Naruto as all the images than fly into Naruto, causing him to be covered by a bright, shining golden light.

"That is the power of light; the power of unity" said Naruto as he wounds fade away.

Yami glares at him as he clenches his fist. **"Nonsense, there is no way your light could ever conquer the darkness." **He then charges at Naruto with a Rasengan powered by all his hate. But, to his shock, Naruto easily grabs his wrist, causing the attack to be canceled as he feels light flowing into his body.

"**What? What are you doing?" **shouts Yami.

"Bringing you back into the light" says Naruto calmly as he forms a Rasengan that shines like the sun. Naruto then presses it against Yami, causing the dark Naruto to be enveloped by pure light. Yami screams in pain and horror as he feels his very being be filled by the light.

The light Rasengan doesn't send Yami flying back. Instead, it is absorbed into Yami's body, knocking him out of Mazuko Mode. For a moment, he just stands there, wide eyed and shaking lightly before collapsing onto his knees.

Naruto then kneels down and places a hand on his shoulder. "I know its hard for you, having lived in darkness since forever. But don't reject the light. Give it a chance. Who knows, you might like it."

Yami finally snaps back to reality, then looks at Naruto. He then sighs and says **"Not much choice, is there. Fine, I concede defeat to you. Absorb me back into yourself."**

Naruto nods as he moves his hand from Yami's shoulder to his chest. Yami then begins to flow into Naruto, becoming one with him again. But before he is fully absorbed, Yami says one final thing.

"**Word of warning. Darkness can come easily to any person. It doesn't take much to send one into darkness. Guard yourself well, Naruto. Or you could still become me."**

Once Yami was one with him again, Naruto clenches his fist as he thinks about what he had said. He then looks up and sees the cloud covered sky of this seal world finally open up and reveal a beautiful sky, finally shining light upon this place. "Darkness will never claim me" says Naruto as he closes his eyes.

When he opens them again, he is back within the Chamber of Self. Getting up, he looks back and sees the passage way reopen. Not wasting a moment, he pass's back into the passage way to rejoin Mada and Fuu.

"You think he's doing OK?" asked Fuu.

Mada's reply is to smile as she senses Naruto's approach and says "See for yourself."

A moment later, Naruto emerges and gives them both a thumbs up. "Took you long enough" said Fuu.

"Sorry, but Yami was a real pain to work with" said Naruto. He then looks at Mada and ask "So, what happens now?"

"Well, you can either go back to Konoha with Moegi seeing as both your problems have been resolved. Or, if you're willing, you both can remain here and train to master you Jinchuriki power" offered Mada.

"Can you really train us to master the power?" asked Naruto.

"She sure can. Grandma has been helping me ever since she found me four years ago" said Fuu.

"How long would it take?" asked Naruto.

Mada shrugs, then says "It varies from person to person. In your case, based on what I know about your personality, I'd say anywhere between twelve to eighteen months. Moegi will need longer due to both her age and the fact she isn't even at your currently level yet."

Naruto thinks about it for a moment, then says "OK, I'll accept your offer. Please help me and Moegi to master being Jinchuriki, ancient granny."

"Ancient granny?" says Mada.

Fuu laughs and says "That's a nice way to put it." Mada thwacks her with her cane for that remark.

"So, when do we start?" asked Naruto, already ready to begin.

"We'll, begin tomorrow afternoon" said Mada while Fuu rubs the bump on her head. "Before we can begin, I need to decide on the perfect training location. I also want to talk to you about some things as well as give you something that rightly belongs to you."

"Really, what is is?" asked Naruto.

"Patience, Naruto. First, will you show me the seal used to contain Kyubi's chakra within you?" asked Mada.

"Sure, I guess" said Naruto as he lifts his shirt up.

Mada reaches out and places her hand against Naruto stomach, using her chakra to make the seal appear. "Indeed, this is the tetragram seal. Hm, it would seem Minato made some modifications to the original design. Improvements to it. Clever boy, you do me proud."

"Hey, ancient granny. What are you talk...?" asked Naruto, but his words are halted as Mada's hand then glows which causes the seal to glow. She then pulls a glowing object out from the seal.

"What the hell?" shouts Naruto as Mada holds this thin, glowing object in her hand.

"Brace yourself, Naruto. This is gonna hurt" warns Fuu suddenly.

Before Naruto can ask what she means, Mada jumps up and slams the glowing object into Naruto's face. The impact throws him off his feet, sending him slamming onto his back, motionless. He glowing object fades after a moment, revealing Naruto had been knocked out.

Fuu flinches, then says "Damn, seeing that from the third person is even more painful than the first."

"Fuu, dear. Please bring Naruto and Moegi inside and place them in their beds. Then start working on lunch for us. I'm gonna get started on Naruto's training preparations" said Mada before turning and walking back towards the hut.

"Yes, grandma" says Fuu before leaning down, picking Naruto up, and slinging him over her shoulder. She then walks over and picks Moegi up, carrying her under arm, then follows Mada back into their underground home.

**(Orochimaru)**

"You wanted to see me, lord Orochimaru?" asked Kidomaru.

"Yes" said Orochimaru as he turns from his work to face Kidomaru. "In your report, you said you faced Sasuke Uchiha in battle. Tell me, everything that occurred during that battle with him. Everything you know about Sasuke."

**next time: Mada and Chiyo...what might have been...Deidara and Sasori attack**


	55. 55 Perspectcomplex

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.55: Perspect-complex**

"Here's your afternoon tea, lady Chiyo" said Sakuya before handing the small tea cup to her aged superior.

"Thank you, dear" said Chiyo, taking the cup from Sakuya. She then takes a moment to smell the aroma before taking a quick sip from her tea. "Mm, do I detect the flavor of honeysuckles mixed in with the tea?"

Sakuya nods and says "It was a little something Tenten taught me. She said it was a special tea blend her mother just loved. It made me happy to know she still has a sentimental side to her."

"Indeed it does" said Chiyo before taking another sip.

"Will you be wanting anything special for dinner tonight?" asked Sakuya.

"Surprise me, though I would like more of this special tea if possible" said Chiyo, placing the tea down on the table beside her.

"Not a problem" said Sakuya before bowing, then turning to leave.

"By the way" said Chiyo just as Sakuya gets to the door. "Mind telling me where Kita was heading off to in such a hurry this morning?"

"Pardon?" asked Sakuya as she turns back to look at Sakuya.

Chiyo wags a finger at her and says "Don't play dumb with me. I saw her standing by you from my window before she headed out. Was something going on? Something that would explain why she went following Naruto and Moegi's path."

_'Damn, and I thought you'd still be asleep' _thinks Sakuya, though her face remains neutral. Thinking fast, Sakuya says "I sent her out to collect the honeysuckles used for your tea. Really, you can be such a worry wart sometimes. Its no wonder I worry about you so much, lady Chiyo."

"Then why was she dressed as a Slayer when she did so? And why the unusual design too?" adds Chiyo, remembering the different look to Kita's Slayer garments.

_'Crap' _thinks Sakuya before saying "The town she went to to get the honeysuckles is known for being a little rough this time of year. Kita's clothes make her look like someone who you don''t want to mess with. As for the altered garments? That was just a precaution in case she crossed paths with anyone who had seen the girls in their Slayer garments in the past. Seriously Chiyo, all these questions make me think you didn't appreciate my making the tea for you."

"Your right, I apologize dear" said Chiyo, though she was far from being honest here.

"It's alright. Well, I better get going" said Sakuya before turning and exiting the room.

A few seconds later, Chiyosighs as she shakes her head sadly, saying "You're a terrible liar, dear."

"I still can't believe she's here, given her past and all" comes a familiar voice that Chiyo quickly recognizes.

Turning to her left, Chiyo says "Elder Mada; it's good to see you once again."

Mada nods as she walks forward and the two hug. "I see you have a few more wrinkles and a full head of gray hair now."

"And you...well, you still look the same as when I last saw you" admitted Chiyo who blushes in embarrassment.

Mada laughs and says "And like I said before, during our last encounter, I look good for my age. Very very good, actually. But my previous observation still stands. Are you sure you can trust her to be honest with you. Even I can tell she's keeping some big secrets from you."

"Coming from the queen of secret keeping, that's not saying much. And I'm no fool. I know she's keeping things from me. But its all the more reason I keep her here with us as it allows me to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid" said Chiyo.

Mada nods and says "I know a bit about her past as well as her personal feelings for Jinchuriki; the hatred she feels towards them. I just hope you can keep her in check so she won't cause any of my Jinchuriki any trouble."

"Speaking of which, did Naruto and Moegi make it to you safely and undetected by Kita's pursuit?" asked Chiyo.

Mada looks at her for a second, then grins slyly and says "So you knew about them all along?"

"I could sense the Biju power within them. As a former ninja from Suna, I am quite familiar with Biju chakra as we held the Ichibi within our grasp. So sensing the chakra within them when I met with the both of them was easy. I also sensed Hinata had encountered two other Jinchuriki, one of who left a message within her which I assume was at your request" said Chiyo.

"I knew I liked you" said Mada. "Yes, they both made it just fine. I was able to create a superior seal for Moegi and Naruto has undergone the trial and is ready to begin his control training. And Kita is none the wiser to their current location. Not that her knowing would matter as only specific people can enter my Sanctuary."

Chiyo nods, then ask "So why did you come here, anyways? The last time was to deliver the book containing the information related to the Byakugan and training to master it. You also told me to expect a special girl to be delivered to us within a few years who would possess the Byakugan."

"It's for the same purpose" said Mada as she produced a scroll from her cloak and hands it to Chiyo. "Bring the young girl up here and have her look upon the seal drawn on the scroll while her Byakugan is activated. It will allow her to receive a very special message."

"What kind of message?" asked Chiyo.

"Like I really know. It's a message to her specifically and only for her to know. You and me; we're just the delivery girls" said Mada.

"I understand" said Mada as she places the scroll on the table beside her.

"By the way, you said she met another Jinchuriki besides my Fuu. Do you know his name by any chance?" asked Mada.

"If my memory serves me right, I believe it was a man named Han" said Chiyo, recalling her talk with Hinata about a recent mission she was on with Tenten, Ai, and a few other girls.

"Han?" said Mada. _'If he's who I think he is, then maybe I should pay Hinata a visit and scan her memories to get a face to go with the name.'_

"Well, I better be getting back before Fuu gets worried about me" said Mada as she walks to the window. "Goodbye, Chiyo." And with that, Mada was gone.

Chiyo walks over to the window and looks outside. Not surprisingly, Mada was nowhere to be seen. She then reflects back on what Mada has said. "Mada, you said that as if I'll never see you again..."

Chiyo knew Mada seemed to have a six sense about her; a talent for knowing things long before anyone else. And she knew Mada was old; likely the oldest person alive. Could Mada's words mean that she had foreseen her own death? A cold wind gave a foreboding warning about things to come.

**(Naruto)**

Naruto found himself returning to consciousness; groaning from the mild pain he was feeling. He brings a hand up and presses it to his face while grumbling "Damn it, ancient granny. Just what was that for?" Getting no reply, Naruto pulls his hand away and opens his eyes to see just were he was now.

He found himself looking up at a ceiling of wood that looked distinctly similar to the ceiling of his own room back in Senhana. Sitting up, he finds the room also looked shockingly similar too. "OK?" he says, confused. Then he remembers being told the the seed that had produced Senhana had originally came from Sanctuary, so the similarities may be natural.

Naruto gets up, stretches, then yawns before looking around. Just where exactly was he though? As far as he had seen when he and Moegi had arrived, there hadn't been any trees as large as the ones in Senhana. Was this actually some sort of underground room? It seemed likely seeing that he had observed Mada and Fuu coming from a small shed like building which he assumed led down into an underground housing structure.

The gurgle of his stomach catches Naruto's attention and he places a hand against his stomach and rubs lightly. "I hope they have some grub around here" said Naruto as he looks around to see if their were any cabinets within his room that could be used to hold food.

Though he quickly did, he also spied something else. "A window? In an underground shelter?" wondered Naruto aloud as he cocked his head to the side. It had thick drapes covering it so he couldn't be sure. Maybe it was just for decoration or a view of a massive underground cave system.

Either way, Naruto was curious and proceeds over to the window and pushes the curtain away, being bathed in bright sunlight as a result. Naruto is forced to look away for a second as his eyes weren't prepared to take all that brightness in. But once his eyes had adjusted, he looks out and goes wide eyed.

"Senhana? I'm back in Senhana. But how?" says Naruto.

It was no joke nor an illusion. The sight outside the window was that of the forest city that had once been home to the Senju Clan. Looking back into his room, Naruto's eyes fall onto the kitchen table and sees his Chunin vest and forehead protector, right where he had placed them before going to bed that night; the night before he had left.

Walking over to the table, Naruto picks up his vest and looks it over. "No doubt, this is the real thing." His eyes then are cast across the entire room and he says "It's all real. Just what the hell is going on here?"

Naruto nearly jumps as a knock against his front door catches him off guard. "Naruto, hey Naruto. Are you up yet? Are you still here?" comes the voice of Iruka.

"Iruka-sensei?" says Naruto. He then places his hands upon the table and he leans forward, wide eyed as he thinks _'What is this? Just what is this? Was that all just a dream? Moegi; is she still at the Temple with Hinata? And ancient granny and Fuu; were they just figments of my imagination? And that trial?'_

"Naruto?" shouts Iruka.

Shaking his head and focusing on the moment, Naruto replies "Yeah, Iruka-sensei. I'm here. Give me a minute, will ya?"

Naruto then walks over to the sink, runs some water and splashes it over his face several times. He then wipes the water away with a towel before walking to the door. _'Maybe I was brought back to Senhana for some reason? But what about Moegi? Shouldn't she be here with me? And then there's our training too?' _As he walks, he takes a glance at a clock hanging on the wall and finds it a quarter till nine in the morning.

Naruto opens the door, saying "Morning, Iruka-sensei. Sorry for the wait. I...I just woke up from a really strange dream and needed a moment to collect myself."

"That's alright, Naruto. Happens to me every so often as well. I'm just glad you're here. I was afraid you might have already left to go get Moegi" said Iruka.

"No, I already went and got her yesterday morning" said Naruto hesitantly. _'At least, I think I did?'_

"Yesterday morning?" asked Iruka, confused. "Naruto, yesterday was the sending ceremony for all those who dies during the attack. Then lady Hokage had you, Shikamaru, and Ino join her along with your sensei's for an important meeting. Just when would you have had time to go get Moegi too?"

"What?" says Naruto, now even more wide eyed. _'Impossible; if what Iruka-sensei is saying is true, then I should have already gotten Moegi and be on our way to the Sanctuary gate by now.'_

"Oh, by the way. I heard you three were made Chunin. Congratulations, Naruto. Though I personally feel its a little to soon for the promotion, I can't argue that you don't deserve it...Naruto, is something wrong?"

Iruka, concerned for Naruto's confused look, reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder. This causes Naruto to immediately swat his hand away, then turn and shout "Hey, ancient granny, Fuu? Just what is this? What kind of joke is this? Is this another test or something?"

"Naruto" shouts Iruka, grabbing his shoulder and forcing Naruto to look at him. "What the heck's gotten into you?"

"Wrong, this is all wrong" repeats Naruto over and over. "I'm not here; I'm not suppose to be here now. I should have already gotten Moegi and...Iruka, just what is going on?"

Iruka takes a hand off Naruto and slaps his forehead, sighing, and saying "Boy, you must have had one whopper of a dream to make you act like this. Get a grip, Naruto. Don't let a dream become confused with reality."

"A dream, was that really just a dream?" wondered Naruto. Was that even really possible?

"Do you think you need a doctor to look at you? Maybe Inoichi could give you a mental examination?" offered Iruka.

After a moment, Naruto shakes his head and says "No, no, I'm alright. I just need a moment to compartmentalize all this." Naruto then takes a moment to take in several deep breaths. "OK, I think I'm good now. So, why did you want see me, Iruka-sensei?"

"Well, first was to congratulate you which I already did. The second was to let you know lady Hokage wanted to see you at once if you hadn't already left" said Iruka.

"Granny Tsunade wants to see me?" asked Naruto, getting a nod from Iruka. "OK, I'll go see what she wants before heading out to get Moegi...again I guess" he said the last part to himself.

"Just make sure you call her Hokage now. Anything less would be disrespectful" points out Iruka.

Naruto waves him off, saying "Yeah, yeah, I'll do that." He then dresses and heads out.

"Yeah right" says Iruka, very much doubting Naruto would keep to doing that.

**(Hokage's office; a few minutes later)**

Naruto knocks on the door, shouting "I'm here, granny Tsunade. You wanted to see me?"

After a moment, he hears "Come on in Naruto." As he enters the room, he sees both Ino and Shikamaru present as well and both wearing their chunin vest. "Glad to see you haven't left yet."

"Yeah, about that..." says Naruto, wondering if he should tell Tsunade about his dream that shouldn't be a dream. "I...really need to get going and get Moegi from the temple..."

"I know, Naruto. But this is important. I have a mission for the three of you and your three are the only ones currently available right now" said Tsunade before handing the three chunin copies of the mission report.

"Basically, we are looking at a B-ranked mission here. A village by the name of Kinstone has been under attack by a group of bandits recently. While this alone is normally considered a C-rank, if you read on down, you see the reason why this is a B-ranked mission" said Tsunade.

"One of the bandits has displayed an aptitude for jutsu usage and is most likely a rogue ninja" said Shikamaru, already having noticed that detail.

"Correct, and it may be possible that his underlings might also know some jutsu that he taught them. Also, the village has been damaged and several of their people either kidnapped or killed. Your mission is to go and deal with those bandits by any means necessary" said Tsunade.

"Do you really think we're up for it?" asked Ino.

Tsunade nods, then says "Given the talents you three possess, I'm confident you'll do just fine. After all, you three complement each other and make up a pretty powerful team combination."

"But granny Tsunade, I can't put off picking up Moegi. Especially with my clone's time limit is closing in" said Naruto.

"I know, Naruto. I'm sorry. But this mission should take no more than a day to complete at the most. And you can take a detour to the Temple of Ama afterwords to pick her up. If all goes well, you should be back by tomorrow night if you're quick" said Tsunade.

Naruto gives it some thought, then sighs and says "Alright." He then looks at Ino and Shikamaru and says "Well, we better hurry up and get going. Times not on our side here...well, not on mine anyways."

In less than an hour, the three Chunin were on their way to Kinstone. Naruto was still confused though, about his current situation. Maybe it had been a dream after all as the memory of all that had happened had started to fade from memory, much like what happens with dreams in general. But he decided that if he still remembered any of it upon their return, he would consult with both Tsunade and Inoichi about this and get their input on this perplexing matter.

**(Kinstone-2:34 pm)**

"I thank you for coming so quickly, though I must confess I didn't expect you to be so young. No offense, but was our money not enough for more seasoned ninja?" asked the mayor of Kinstone.

"None taken" said Shikamaru. "All of our peers are currently on higher ranked and far more dangerous missions. But I can assure you that we are more than capable to aid you, sir."

"I hope you're right, child" said the man. "Anyways, here's what we know so far. The bandits in question are using the old Kinstone Mines as a base. Once, we had been a rather famous mining town till the ore within our mines ran dry. Since then, we have made money as best we could in other ways, like our special hot springs."

"Hot springs?" asked Ino, her interest suddenly peeking.

_'Oh no, no, no' _thinks Naruto, knowing where this would likely lead with Ino and her love for hot springs.

"Sadly, things have been a bit rough for us, as I'm sure you noticed when you arrived. Even with our hot springs, we just don't get many tourist, being off the beaten path as we are" said the mayor.

"Well don't worry sir, we'll deal with this problem post haste" says Ino excitedly as she stands up. She then grabs Naruto and Shikamaru and forces them onto their feet and out the door. The two boys look at each other, both knowing why Ino was so wanting to get this mission over and done with.

Once they were gone, the mayor sits back and sighs. He wondered if he had done the right thing. A presence behind him makes his blood run cold from fear. "Good job."

"Our...agreement?" asked the mayor nervously.

"When we're finished, you'll receive the payment in full" said the figure. "Oh, one more thing..."

As the three chunin made their way from the village, Shikamaru manages to overhear two older women whispering amongst themselves; despite Ino singing her hot spring song and Naruto mumbling about just wanting to go get Moegi. Though most of what the women said was meaningless dribble, there was one thing of importance he couldn't help but commit to memory.

"Those two men, the ones wearing those scary black cloaks with the red cloud pattern upon them."

Several hours quickly passed and the sun was setting as the three chunin reentered the village with the captured bandits in tow. The battle against them had actually been pretty easy, much to their surprise. The challenge had come more from exploring the mines, looking for them, due to the mines massive size.

The rogue ninja, on the other hand, who had been in the deepest and darkest section of the mine, had been another matter entirely. Its not like he was hard, it was a difficult battle. It had just been different. The man, who had an unusual face, had attacked with just simple taijutsu which involved some weird body motions that made him appear to be triple jointed. His sole ninjutsu was unleashing fireballs from his mouth. When they had beaten him, he had chosen to commit suicide rather than be captured; triggering a paper bomb inside his stomach they assumed he had swallowed for just such an event.

After turning the captured men in with the local authorities and Ino found herself being freaked out by the head guard; a man with blond haired kept in a ponytail and had some weird metal eye patch covering his left eye. They then reported in to the mayor.

"I thank you for your services here. Maybe now we can finally get back on track with the tourism department around here. Here's the payment; I'm sure it will be acceptable" said the mayor before handing Shikamaru an envelope that was thick with money.

Shikamaru takes the envelope, pops it open, and sees the amount stuffed inside. He then seals it up and slides the envelope inside his chunin vest. "We hope things get back on track here soon, sir. Well then, we better get going."

As the three chunin turn to leave, the mayor speaks up and says "Hold a moment." Once the chunin were looking at him again, "I can't help but notice that the sun has already started to fall for the day. Why not stay here tonight in our village as our special guest. You can even partake in our hot springs."

"While we appreciate the offer, sir. I'm afraid we really have to be going" said Naruto who was wanting to go pick up Moegi. As they go to leave again, the mayor says...

"All free of course, even the use of the hot springs" said the mayor.

This makes Ino stop, who grabs Naruto and Shikamaru to make them stop as well. She looks back at the mayor and ask "Free? Even the hot springs?"

_'Oh no' _thinks both Naruto and Shikamaru in unison.

The mayor nods and says "And you three will have exclusive usage of the springs for tonight as well."

A spark is born in Ino's eyes as she smiles slightly. "Well, I guess it is getting rather late. OK sir, we'll stay the night. And we'll even partake in your villages...heh heh...hot springs."

"Ino, we don't have time. Remember, I have to go get..." Naruto tries to say, but Ino interrupts him and says "And we will, first thing tomorrow morning once we have breakfast of course."

"What a drag" says Shikamaru, knowing that Ino's mind was set and there'd be no changing it.

But Naruto does, not that Ino cares enough to listen as she goes dragging both boys out of the room. Once he was alone again, the mayor gets up and pulls several bags from under the desk out. "I've done what you asked. Now I wish to have what's owed me so I can finally leave this dead dive of a village."

"Very well then" came a voice from behind him. The next thing the mayor knows, he feels a sharp pain in his chest as his body is jolted by something. Looking down, he sees a blade covered in his own blood coming out of his chest. As blood trickles from his open mouth, the mayor looks back and ask "Why? I did...what you asked...?"

"And I think you, Mr. mayor my man. But anyone who would sell out their own village solely for money is one who obviously has no sense of artistic integrity. People like that don't deserve to live" said the man, who could now be seen. A man with blond hair and a metal eye patch over his left eye.

A few minutes later, the three chunin enter the hot springs. Well, Ino enters with Naruto and Shikamaru being dragged behind her. Once inside, Ino excitedly says "We're here for hot springs, ma'am. The mayor said it was on the house and for our exclusive use."

The girl behind the counter, who had an interesting doll like look about her, nods and says "I've been expecting you. If you just head through that door, you'll fine the changing room with the hot springs just beyond that."

"Alright, thanks ma'am" said a cheery Ino before heading towards the door.

"By the way, you do know that this is a coed hot spring, right?" asked the girl.

Ino stops in her tracks, asking "What? Say again?"

"We're a coed hot springs We just have one big pool that everyone shares" said the women.

"Seriously, you got to be kidding me" said Ino in a huff. She then sighs and says "Alright, I understand." She then looks at Naruto and Shikamaru and says "You both better be quick in there."

"Huh?" says the boys together.

"Since I've been so insistent on staying here tonight just for this, I'll be nice and let you two get the first dibs. So get your butts in there" shouts Ino before tossing them into the changing room "and don't take to long in there either. After all, real men don't make a girl wait."

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto and Shikamaru are sitting back and letting the waters carry them away. "I gotta admit, this wasn't such a bad idea" said Naruto.

"I guess" said Shikamaru before getting up. "Well, I hit my limit. I'm heading off to bed. What about you?"

"I think I'll stick around for another few minutes. Wanna make Ino suffer a little more in the waiting since she's the one that actually wanted this" said Naruto as he snickers.

"Just be careful you don't end up on the receiving end of Ino's mental torture jutsu" said Shikamaru before exiting into the changing room. For the next five minutes, Naruto just sits back against a rock with his eyes closed, finding himself wishing Hinata was here. _'Damn pervy sage for making me think like that.'_

"Finally, I thought Shikamaru would never leave" came the voice of Ino, making Naruto's eyes shoot open, seeing Ino step into the water and walk towards him with nothing but a thin towel on.

"Ah, Ino. I'm sorry for making you wait. I'll get out right now" cries Naruto as he waves his arms frantically. He then goes to stand, but Ino presses a hand to his chest, pushing him back down into the water. "Ga, hey Ino, what gives?" shouts Naruto, but finds something hitting his head.

Naruto reaches out and pulls the the object away, realizing that it was a towel. Ino's towel. Unable to stop himself, Naruto looks and sees Ino standing fully exposed before him. "So, what do you think, Naruto?"

Naruto goes red faced, eyes bulging, as he tries to speak but finds his voice scattered into a series a random babbling. As he tries to get his thoughts together, Ino takes a seat next to him, then wraps herself around his arm and rest her head upon his shoulder. Natural, this act and the fact his arm was now being hugged by Ino's chest, caused Naruto's brain to go to mush.

"Can I stay like this; here with you, just for a few minutes?" asked Ino softly.

"I...I...I...I...um...um...um...this...um" stutters Naruto, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Ino giggles and for the next few moment, there is silence as Ino enjoys herself and Naruto is busy having a mental overload over the fact a naked girl was right next to him, hugging him tightly. "It was you, ya know" said Ino suddenly.

This snaps Naruto out of his stupor as he turns his head to look at her and ask "What do you mean?"

"My kunoichi training, of course. If I still had to do it, you would have been my chosen partner" said Ino, lifting her head from Naruto's shoulder and looks at him.

"But why me? I mean, there are other guys in the village who..." Naruto starts to say, but Ino quiets him by leaning over and kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Because I really like you, Naruto. In fact, I think I'm in love with you" said Ino, blushing, and looking away in embarrassment.

Naruto blushes as well, then says "Ino, I'm flattered. Really, I am. I'm honored you feel that way about me. But I...well, I already have a girl I like."

"I know; its Hinata, right?" asked Ino, getting a nod from Naruto. "That's fine, I don't mind for now. Besides, you and her aren't married are you?"

"No" said Naruto, shaking his head. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, until, you both marry, it means you are fair game. I still have a chance to win you over and make you fall in love with me. When we go pick Moegi up in the morning, I'm gonna talk with Hinata and let her know of my feelings for you while confirming hers. After all, a little rivalry can be both good and fun too" said Ino.

Naruto sighs, but then smiles as he never imagined himself being involved in a love triangle; especially one where he was the sole guy between two girls competing for his love. "If you want to, fine. But getting me to give up on Hinata isn't going to be easy. It may even be impossible."

"I don't mind the challenge" said Ino, placing her head back onto his shoulder.

After a few minutes more, Naruto says "Well, I better be going before I turn into a prune." Ino pouts at hearing this but releases him all the same.

As Naruto exits the water, Ino says "You know, if you want to go ahead and "train me", I'm all for it."

Naruto looks back at her, sees her blushing nervously, then chuckles to himself. "I had a feeling you would say that. Good night, Ino." He then exits the room.

"Good night, Naruto" said Ino. All in all, this had been a good day in her opinion.

**(the next day)**

"Naruto, Naruto, wake up" comes Shikamaru's voice, bringing Naruto back to consciousness.

"Hm, what's up Shikamaru. Is it time to go?" asked Naruto groggily. After that little incident with Ino last night, he had hardly slept a wink.

"Something's wrong in the village. I have a feeling we were set up" said Shikamaru, his voice far more serious than was the norm for him.

This brings Naruto into a fully awake and alert state as he says "Why, what's going on?"

"Get dressed while explain" said Shikamaru, tossing Naruto is clothes. As Naruto dressed quickly, Shikamaru says "I woke up twenty minutes ago and went down to the kitchen on the inn to grab a bite to eat. I noticed something was off due to not seeing anyone around. I then noticed a smell and followed it back to its source." Shikamaru represses an urge to puke, an urge he failed to keep in check earlier, as he says "I found the remains of several villagers stuffed into a storage room."

"What?" shouts Naruto.

Several moment later, Naruto and Shikamaru run outside and find a dense fog had fallen over the village. Furthermore, there was an eerie silence that filled the air, thick with tension. Ino then appears and says "I've checked all the homes, even the mayors office. Nothing except dead bodies."

"Shikamaru, check then money" says Naruto.

Getting what Naruto was thinking, Shikamaru pulls the envelope out and opens it and pulls the money out. "Its fake" said Ino, seeing the obvious difference in the design.

"Sorry Naruto, but getting Moegi's gonna have to wait. Right now, we need to get back and report to lady Hokage" said Shikamaru, getting a nod from both Ino and Naruto. But as they turn to leave, they are immediately stopped as two figures can be seen approaching them.

"I'm afraid leaving will be impossible" said the short, hunched over figure.

"He's right. We can't let you leave here, not until we've concluded our business" said the taller. After a moment, the two figures can finally be seen and Shikamaru recognizes the clothes; the same as what the two women had been whispering about the day before. Black cloaks and red cloud patterns.

"So Sasori my man, we sure that boy is the one she meant?" asked the taller figure.

"Of course it is, Deidara, you idiot. He matches the description of Konoha's Jinchuriki perfectly" said Sasori.

_'These guys, they know about Naruto?' _thinks Ino as she quickly pulls a kunai out, ready to battle.

Deidara then points to Naruto and says "If you agree to surrender to us without a fight, we'll spare your comrades. So, agree or not?"

Naruto looks at Ino and Shikamaru, who both nod to show they were ready to fight. Naruto then looks back and says "Sorry pal, they wouldn't let me anyways. Besides, we can deal with you two easy."

"Really, well that's good to know seeing as we would have to kill them anyways. Now I won't have to feel bad about lying": said Deidara.

"You think this will be easy?" asked Sasori. He then waves his hand and causes a puppet to appear. "It would be wise to not underestimate us, child."

"Hey, its the girl from the hot springs" says Ino.

"My man Sasori here is quite skilled as a puppeteer. And can even take the corpses of the dead and turn them into perfectly life like puppets. You would never know if who you're talking to is real or fake" said Deidara.

"Shut up, idiot. There's no need to tell them about things that won't matter in the few minutes they have left" said Sasori.

Shikamaru looks them both over and realizes the one named Deidara had been standing in as the head guard to whom they had handed the bandits over to. "So, those bandit were your men?"

"No, just fools we got to work for us. Their leader was one of my lesser puppets. But enough talk" said Sasori.

"Yeah, we only did this, getting that corrupted, money hungry mayor who ruined his town with his greed, to aid us for one purpose. To get our hands on a Jinchuriki. Luckily for us, you were sent here otherwise this would have been a waste of time" adds Deidara.

_'So, these guys are here for me, huh? Well, I'll give them what they want' _thinks Naruto before taking a step forward. "Ino, Shikamaru, step back. I'm gonna give them exactly what they want" says Naruto as he begins to call forth Kyubi's chakra.

Naruto's body begins to glow as chakra rises out and covers him like a shroud. He then gets down on all fours and growls saying **"Here I come."**

But as soon as he goes to move, Naruto's body locks up on him and he collapses to the ground, the Kyubi's chakra cloak becoming chaotic and erratic. "Naruto" shouts Ino as she and Shikamaru run over to him.

_'Yami? Damn, didn't I already deal with you...no, that was just a dream' _thinks Naruto.

"Afraid to fight?" asked Deidara.

Naruto growls as he tries to regain control. "We'll handle them, Naruto" said Shikamaru as he and Ino stand and walk out before him. "Ino, you take the tall guy. I'll handle the hunchback."

"Works for me" says Ino before charging at Deidara, going into a series of fast kicks and kunai swipes at him. Deidara easily dodges around each of her attacks, then goes into his own taijutsu attack against Ino who also dodges then back flips away.

Deidara then thrust his hands into the bags at his side, then uses the clay inside to create mini white spiders and launch them at Ino. "Be careful. Who knows just how bad a bite they have."

The clay spiders move quickly to Ino then jump at her. Ino begins slashing at each and nails a few with spinning kicks. "That all?" she asked, getting a devious smile in return from Deidara.

Shikamaru watches Sasori closely as he maneuvers the puppet that had once been the girl who ran the hot springs, who now had blades protruding from her body. He then launches the puppet at Shikamaru who flips out of the way, then quickly uses his Shadow Possession jutsu to entrap Sasori.

"Now you can't move or attack me" says Shikamaru.

"A Shadow Possession jutsu, huh. A good way to subdue one's targets. To bad it has one flaw" said Sasori.

"And what would that be?" asked Shikamaru before he feels a low rubble followed by a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he sees a large tail blade ripping through his chest.

"You mistake a puppet for the puppeteer" said a red haired boy who appeared directly behind Shikamaru, who's eyes go vacant as he collapses onto the ground, dead.

"Shikamaru" growls Naruto as he struggles more than ever.

"No, Shikamaru" shouts Ino as she races towards him. Deidara smiles as she quickly makes a hand sign just seconds before Ino steps down on one of the spiders she had kicked away, causing an explosion.

"INO" shouts Naruto, unable to see her through the smoke.

When then smoke clears, he sees Ino laying on the ground. Movement and a pained groan alerts him to her still being alive. "I told you my pets had bite, didn't I?" asked Deidara as he stands over her. He then reaches down and forces her up onto her knee.

Yes, knee, as Naruto could now see that her left leg had been destroyed, leaving only a stump in its place. Deidara then grips her head with both hands while Ino just looks at Naruto and mouths something, but no words came through.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" asked Deidara. "Now, lets give this a crack" he adds before jerking Ino's head violently to the side, snapping her neck and killing her instantly. He then lets her go and her lifeless body falls back onto the ground.

"Shikamaru" says Naruto as memories of them rush through his mind. "Ino" he says also as memories of her rush through his mind as well. **"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO"**he roars as he gives in to Yami's control.

Deidara chuckles and says "Looks like we released the beast within. To bad we don't have time to play." He then makes a motion towards the sky and a massive big jawed dragon like beast comes sailing in through the fog, flying straight at Naruto.

Naruto roars, but the clay dragon slams into him before he reacts, creating a deafening explosion. Both Sasori and Deidara are blown back, though both manage to land on their feet. "Deidara, that one was a little overkill. You could have killed the target."

There was nothing left of the small village but the crater created by the blast. Deidara walks over the remains of Ino and kneels down beside Naruto and examines him. "Good news, Sasori my man. He's still alive. Unconscious and seriously injured, but alive."

"Luckily for you. Had you actually killed him, it would be you alone facing punishment from the boss" said Sasori as he reenters his massive puppet, then walks over and picks Naruto up with the tail weapon.

Deidara just smirks as he creates a large clay owl that they both jump onto and fly off. "I can't wait to see the looks on everybodies faces when we reveal we bagged the first Jinchuriki. You think we'll have time to seal him before his village comes calling?"

"They won't even begin to suspect somethings wrong till tomorrow at the earliest. And if they do somehow find a way to track us, we'll have already finished the job and be on our way" said Sasori.

_No, no, no, no, NO, Ino, Shikamaru_

Naruto's eyes shoot open; finding himself breathing heavily and covered in sweat. He looks up and sees an unfamiliar ceiling. He sits up slowly, looking around in a panic. A gentle hand to his shoulder makes Naruto stare and see Mada looking at him with concern.

"Naruto, what is it? What happened?" asked Mada.

Naruto tries to speak, but finds his words coming out as a babble. Mada then hands him a glass of water and has him drink it down while she rubs his back. "Easy child. Take it slowly and allow a moment to collect your thoughts."

Once he was done drinking, Mada says "Now, tell me everything."

Once he was done relating what had happened, Mada is quiet for a moment, then says "Naruto, I'm sorry. I should have told you before."

"Told me what?" he asked.

"That you might suffer a dream as a result of the trial. Not just any dream, but a dream that shows a possibility. In this case, one possibility on what might have happened had you not left Konoha."

"So, it didn't really happen?" asked Naruto.

Mada nods and says "That's right. To be honest, I believe this dream was a warning; alerting you to a threat you'll be facing in the future."

"The guys in the black and red robes?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, never forget them. Because I am certain you'll meet them again one day" said Mada before standing up. "Now, lets go get some dinner. Then you get get some additional sleep for tomorrow."

"You mean for my training?" asked Naruto.

"Both that and the other matters. Naruto, its time you learned about your parents" said Mada.

**Next time: inheritance, their story, eyes of yin and yang, the training begins...**

**NO Info:**

There are two bits I want to discuss before closing this chapter out, since I know you all will have questions. One, I know this chapter (save for the interaction between Mada and Chiyo and the ending) comes off as filler in nature. But I felt it would be interesting to explore what MIGHT have happened (not would have happened) had Naruto hadn't left when he did. Also, it serves to allow Naruto to become aware of the Akatsuki and thus be on the look out for them in upcoming chapters (following the time skip coming in chapter 57).

The other is the whole Naruto and Ino scene in the hot springs. Honestly, I just felt it needed to happen; the whole Ino having chosen Naruto to be her training partner and making Naruto aware of her feelings for him. By having it as part of the dream, it could be something that happens but doesn't require any further acting upon due to both the forthcoming time skip and the fact Naruto won't physically see her again until act 2 (though Ino will contact Naruto through their psychic link in an upcoming chapter for plot purposes). That said, there is a reason why I had Ino develop feelings for Naruto that will become clearer in act 2. And this story won't become a NaruHinaIno thing; at least in the main story.


	56. 56 Tome Divers

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.56: Tome Divers**

It was the morning following Naruto and Moegi's arrival in Sanctuary and Naruto joined Mada outside within the circle while Fuu remained inside to work with Moegi with her mental development. Since waking up, Naruto had already noticed a major change in Moegi's self; a change he found comforting.

"So, are you ready to learn about your parents?" asked Mada as Naruto sat across from her.

Naruto nods, then says "I've always wondered about them; wishing I could meet them. I..."

"I know, I know. And with any luck, you'll know a great deal by days end" said Mada, who then produces a scroll from her sleeves. She then unravels it and releases the contents sealed within the scroll; a large chest which she promptly opens as Naruto leans in to see what lay within.

"Let's see here" said Mada as she dug into the chest. She then pulls out three books, then hands each to Naruto while saying "The first is your mother, Kushina Uzumaki's diary. The second is your father, Minato Namikaze's journal. And this last one holds, in great detail, information on all their jutsu."

Naruto wanted to start reading the first two books, but decides to hold off for the moment and save them for training breaks and after training activities. But he does open the third book, greatly curious about his parents jutsu. "Hey, is this the Rasengan?" asked Naruto, showing Mada the page he was looking at.

Mada nods, then says "Indeed it is. If memory serves, you learned it from Jiraiya; correct?"

"Yeah, but how did pervy sage know it?" asked Naruto.

"Well, Jiraiya was Minato's teacher so its no surprise that he would share his techniques with his master" said Mada.

"So dad was a ninja? And why is my last name Uzumaki instead of Namikaze?" asked Naruto.

"No, just your mother though your day did attend Konoha's ninja training academy for a few years while Jiraiya was busy dealing with certain issues. This is how your parents first met. As for your last name? Only Sarutobi could answer that as it was he who made the decision" said Mada, though the truth was that it had been her idea as it was safer for Naruto to be known as Uzumaki over Namikaze.

Naruto then flipped through the book as Mada retrieved two more items from the chest. "Hm, there seems to be a lot of sealing related jutsu cataloged in here" observed Naruto.

"Not surprising as your mother came from the Uzumaki Clan, who were know as the greatest sealers in all the ninja world. Your father was just as skilled as your mother if not more so. They would both have been S-ranked seal masters by Uzumaki standards" said Mada.

"Wow" said Naruto, wondering if he could be as good? He flips to another page, then says "A design for a weapon? It looks like a kunai, but with a longer handle and three blades instead of one."

"You mean these old things?" asked Mada, getting Naruto's attention.

Naruto takes the twin weapons from Mada and holds them in his hands. "Cool, just what are they?"

"They're your fathers Shift Anchor's. A rather simple weapon at first glance, but one that holds many secrets" was Mada's reply.

Naruto notices the seal formula inscribed upon the handle and ask "What does this mean?"

"That seal is the reason why these are called Shift Anchor's. Your father created a technique that allowed him to move faster than light which he called Flying Raijin. To some, its a form of teleportation jutsu. But it also has elements of space/time manipulation class jutsu as well. This jutsu is what made your father infamous as the fasted man alive. Furthermore, you can place that seal on other objects to act as Shift Anchor's as well" said Mada.

"You think I can learn this Flying Raijin jutsu? And sealing jutsu too?" asked Naruto.

Mada nods and says "In addition to your Jinchuriki training, I plan on training you into a master seal user as well. And we'll even work on the Raijin. Now, hand me the Anchor's and I'll show you another secret." Naruto hands them back to her and Mada then channels her chakra into them, causing chakra blades to extend out from the metal blades.

"No way. They're lightsab..."

"Stop right there, Naruto. Copy right issues" joked Mada. "But yes, these can be used as weapons like this. Furthermore, you can make the blade either short or long depending on your needs and you can cut any metal provided your control on the chakra is good enough. Much better than any normal kunai." She then hands them back at Naruto.

"No kidding" said Naruto, making his own chakra blades pop out. "I was wanting a weapon upgrade and it looks like I got it." He then puts them down and ask "So, anything else?"

"Lets see" says Mada as she rummages through the chest. "Here, your mothers Konoha forehead protector and a special one Sarutobi made for her that has the Uzumaki Clan's symbol in place of Konoha's."

Naruto takes them and looks at them both. Then, he ties the spiral marked head band on and decides to make it part of his usual attire. Mada then hands him a white coat with red flames along the ends. "This was your fathers. A gift made by Kushina they he wore all the time from what I here."

Naruto stands and tries it on, finding it a little big on him. Mada chuckles as he takes it off, saying "Give yourself another year or two; you'll grow into it. Now, we have one last item...well, besides just clothes and a pictures taken."

Naruto takes the book from Mada and notices it was different from the others. Mada then gets up and says "Why don't you look inside while I go finish preparing your training area. I'll be back within the hour to get you so we may begin." And with that, Mada turns and reenters the underground house.

"Wonder what's in here?" wondered Naruto aloud as he opens the book, quickly finding it to be page after page of blank. "Is this some sort of joke?" wondered Naruto till he notices a tassel sticking out between pages further in, so he opens to the page the tassel was placed over.

Upon this page was a seal with what appeared to be a gemstone at the center. Curious, Naruto touches the gem, causing it to light up. The next thing he knows, he finds himself being sucked into the gem.

**(Hinata)**

"Sorry for being late, lady Chiyo" said Hinata as she closed the door the Order's leader's room. "Tenten and I lost track of time down in the training level."

"Quite all right, my dear" said Chiyo as she sat down in a chair, beckoning Hinata to join her.

Hinata sits the the chair across from her and ask "So, what will I be learning today?"

"Actually, I have something else planned" said Chiyo as she pulls out a scroll and hands it to Hinata. "Instead of visual exercises or new techniques, I thought I'd have you look within this scroll."

Though confused, Hinata opens the scroll, revealing a seal with a gem stone at its center (similar to the one Naruto was currently being sucked into). "I'm confused?" admitted Hinata.

"Activate your Byakugan and look into the gem. If what I was told is correct, you will receive a message."

"Message? What kind of message?" asked Hinata.

Chiyo shrugs, saying "Beats me. All I know is what it is you need to do. The rest is all up to you."

"I understand" said Hinata as she lays the scroll on her lap, then makes the necessary hand signs to activate her Byakugan. She then picks the scroll up again and gazes into the gem. For a second, she sees nothing till the gem begins to glow and she suddenly finds herself blacking out.

"Ow, what was that?" wonders Hinata as she rubs her forehead, suddenly feeling light headed. But then she realizes that her surroundings had changed completely. She was now in an unknown area that was covered in a dense fog, they she could make out pillars rising high into the sky, or were they towers?

"You're here at last, child of the Byakugan" came a sweet and soothing voice from within the fog.

Hinata turns in the direction the voice had come from and sees a figure approaching her. For a second, the fog obscures this person from Hinata's view. But after a moment, Hinata is able to make out the girls features; her long golden hair, blue eyes that glowed with a mysterious light, skin like her own, and clothes unlike any she had seen before. It was then Hinata realized she knew this person.

"You...your lady Amarillo" said Hinata in a shocked tone.

"Please, just Amarillo will do. To be honest, I hate titles" said Amarillo, making a face that made Hinata think of Naruto for some reason.

"Where am I? Why am I here? Why are you here?" asked Hinata.

"Hm, good questions, good questions" said Mada as she nodded in a sage like way. "Well, to begin. We are currently where me and Musashi had lived in life. But to you? All you can see is fog because this place is beyond your ability to see...at least for now. Next, you are here to learn an important truth about your power. And as for me? I'm leaving you this recording within the gem to tell you what you need know" was Amarillo's reply.

"This is a recording? But then how are you answering my questions as if you and me were really here together in real time?" asked Hinata.

"How the hell should I know? This is more Musashi's forte than mine. I've just learned its sometimes better to not over think anything and just go with the flow. Simpler that way in my opinion" admitted Amarillo.

This was really weird for Hinata. Not so much the situation but actually meeting Amarillo herself, sort of. She had expected Amarillo to be all prim and proper like it said she was in the books outside battles. But she she was seeing her in a completely different light her. It was almost as if she was a female version of Naruto. "Um, who's Musashi?"

"Only the coolest guy in the world. Well, he is to me anyways though most see him as a timid, quiet, weirdo. But he'll show them all when he masters the Sage's path along with his Rinnegan. But enough beating around the bush. Time to talk seriously about why you're here" said Amarillo.

Hinata nods, giving Amarillo her full attention. "As you know, you possess a special type of eye that only you have; the Byakugan. Well, you aren't the only one if I am being honest. There is another who is your back up in case something bad happens to you. After all, given the importance the Byakugan will play in stopping the second Age of Darkness from happening, a spare is always recommended."

_'A back up? I wonder who it is?' _wondered Hinata.

"Anyways, the Byakugan is powered by Yang affinity chakra which you are naturally attune with. But you possess a unique gift to perform an affinity shift, going from Yang to Yin. And in doing so, your eyes will also shift as well. By performing the shift, you will go from having the All Seeing Eye active to having the All Knowing Eye active; also known as the Kokugan" said Amarillo.

"Kokugan?" said Hinata, not sure if she was following correctly.

"Look to your right, please" asked Amarillo.

Hinata does so and finds herself looking at an exact copy of herself, but with a black/gray iris instead of a white/gray iris. "In order to truly fulfill your destiny, you will need to master both eyes. If you don't, then this world is doomed" said Amarillo in an ominous tone, making Hinata a little nervous.

Amarillo then smiles and says in a cheery voice. No worries, though. I have faith you'll do it. After all, you have great motivation to move you forward."

Hinata blushes as Naruto crosses her mind. "Amarillo, what kind of powers does this Kokugan possess?"

"You'll know when you activate it. After all, its not called the ALL KNOWING EYE for nothing. Also, keep this scroll someplace safe. Once you can activate the Kokugan, gaze into the gem again with it activated and I will have a few more goodies to give to you. Now, to teach you the signs of affinity shift" said Amarillo before walking forward and pressing her forehead to Hinata's.

Hinata's eyes open and she finds herself back with Chiyo. "So, what did you see?" she asked.

"Where I need to take my training in the near future, once I can activate my Byakugan at will" said Hinata, gripping the scroll tightly in her hands.

She would master them both; Byakugan and Kokugan, and she would do her part in saving the world. She must for failure meant the end for all.

**(Naruto)**

Naruto groaned, finding himself laying upon the ground. He could already tell that he wasn't in the Sanctuary no more as he face face down in dirt, not snow. Picking himself up, he sees he is in a small town, in the middle of the road. Then he realizes that something was off. Everything appeared misty to his eyes, like the world wasn't as filled with much color.

"So, we finally arrived" came a voice that Naruto recognized immediately. Turning quickly, he sees Mada walk towards him, but it wasn't Fuu by her side this time. Instead, she had a small boy of seven with hair likes his by her side.

"Do you really think he'll take me on as a student?" asked the boy.

"He'll likely be stubborn at first. But I'm confident I can persuade him" replied Mada.

"Hey, ancient granny, what's going on here?" shouts Naruto as he runs towards her, but she neither gives any sing of seeing or hearing him before, to Naruto's shock, passes right through him. Naruto spins around, saying "What the...?" He then notices his hands; transparent and glowing with a blue light, like a ghost. "Gah, am I dead?"

"In here, Minato" said Mada as she led the boy inside the small eatery.

Naruto blinks, then says "Minato? Wait, is that my dad...as a kid?" It was then he realized what was going on. He wasn't dead, but somehow sent into the past to view first hand the events of his parents lives. "Well, ancient granny said I would get to know them. I guess this is the best way" said Naruto before following them inside.

As soon as he entered, his eyes immediately fall upon Jiraiya, sitting at a table eating some dango and looking years younger than Naruto recalled him looked, which was natural seeing as his dad was still a kid here. Mada and Minato approach him.

"Excuse me, are you Jiraiya by an chance?" asked Mada.

Jiraiya looks at her for a second, then goes back to his food while saying "Could be. Who's asking?"

"Just an elderly woman with a request for you" said Mada, trying to sound old and sweet so he would say yes.

"And what would that be?" asked Jiraiya, now giving her his full attention.

"I was hoping you could take this boy here with me on as your student" replied Mada.

Jiraiya looks at the boy and studies him carefully. "Sorry lady, no deal. No offense, but your grand kid seems to girly and wimpy to me."

"Oh, he's not my grandchild. But I can assure you that he's stronger than he appears. If you take him on, you won't be disappointed" said Mada.

"A pretty bold claim, old timer. And just how do you know I won't regret it" asked Jiraiya, the bitterness of hearing about his three previous students deaths recently still fresh in his mind.

"Because I consider myself a good judge of character. Which is why I want you to train him. You alone have the skill to bring out his true skills and ability."

"While I'm honored by your praise, just who are you anyways?" asked Jiraiya.

"Me, just an old lady passing through this life. But if you need a name, then call me Mada. Everyone does" said Mada.

Jiraiya jumps to his feet, shocked as realization comes over him. "Mada, you mean THE Mada, Sage of the Crystal Forest?"

"The very same" said Mada.

Jiraiya goes quiet for a moment, then looks at Minato and ask "What's your name, boy?"

"Minato Namikaze, sir" replied Minato, feeling a little nervous.

After another moment of thought, Jiraiya says "One month, I'll test him out for one month. If he's as good as you say, then I'll take him on full time. If not, then he's back with you. Agreed?"

Jiraiya then extends his hand as does Mada. "Agreed" she says as they shake.

Naruto then sees everything around him shift and fade out as a new image appears. Mada was once again standing before Jiraiya with Minato by his side, this time at a camp in the wilderness. "So?" she asked.

Jiraiya smiles and says "You are a good judge of character. And I would be glad to take him on full time."

Mada smiles as Minato gives her a thumbs up, saying "I had a feeling you would."

The scene then shifts again, this time to a village on fire. Naruto then sees a girl with striking red hair clinging to her mother while a man who sported a Konoha symbol stood close by.

"No mama, I don't want to leave you" cried the girl.

The woman kneels down and pats the young girl on the head. "I know, mama doesn't want to leave you either. But the village is under attack and I have a duty to defend it."

"So do I" cried the girl.

"Honey, you must understand. You are special to our clan. You have a power very few ever possess. You can't stay here or we risk losing that gift. Please, do as mama says and go with this man to Konoha. You'll be safe there" said the red headed woman.

"But..." said the girl, but stopped as her mother gives her a look she knew all to well, a look that meant the discussion was over. "OK, I will. But will I ever see you again?"

The woman hugs the girl tightly and says "I hope so, little one. I really do." She then looks up at the the Konoha ninja and says "Sakumo, do you have the scrolls for her?"

The ninja best known as White Fang nods and says "Yes, everything lord Ushio could give me."

The woman nods, then says "Never forget, mama loves you and will always be with you. Now, be strong and go; live on for all of us...Kushina."

"_Mom?" _says Naruto, realizing that this girl was in fact his mother. The world shifts again.

Naruto now found himself in Konoha, within the Hokage's office. He sees Sarutobi, much younger than he had ever seen the old man, talking with Jiraiya and Minato, who now appeared to be nine years of age. "Are you sure about this, Jiraiya?" asked Sarutobi.

"Yeah, I think it would be good for Minato to make friends while he's still young. And attending the academy would not only allow that, but he could learn a thing or two in the process" replied Jiraiya.

"So, you wish him to become a ninja then?" asked Sarutobi.

Jiraiya shakes his head and says "No, I just want him to attend till he's twelve or when the class he is assigned to graduates. This will be a good experience for him in the long run. And besides, it means you'll have me here for a few years to do some mission for the village."

"That would be helpful" admitted Sarutobi as Jiraiya could easily handle mission that would otherwise require a small force to complete. He then looks at Minato and ask "And what about you?"

"I'd like to give it a try, sir" said Minato quietly.

"Very well then, I welcome you to our village, Minato Namikaze, even if only for a few years" said Sarutobi as he stands and shakes Minato's hand.

Naruto then finds himself outside the village with Sakumo and Kushina. "Do you really think I'll be OK here?" asked Kushina nervously.

Sakumo smiles and says "You'll have lady Mito watching over you and you'll make plenty of friends at the academy. Just have faith in yourself; you'll be fine. After all, you're an Uzumaki."

Kushina looks at him, then back at the village entrance and smiles. "You're right. I'll be fine."

Naruto then finds himself inside the familiar room from the academy, though the decor was a little different. Looking around, he sees many young hopefuls sitting in their seats and he's sure he spies Shikamaru and Ino's dads among them. He then see his father sitting near the back. The door slides open and a man who looked liked Iruka; _'Must be Iruka-sensei's dad'_ thought Naruto, walk in with Kushina right behind him.

"Quiet down, everyone. I have an announcement to make." Once he had everyone's attention, Iruka's dad says "Now we have another new student joining us. Please give a warm welcome to Kushina Uzumaki of the Uzumaki Clan from the Island of Eddies to the east of Shumoa." He then looks at the nervous girl and says "Go on, say something."

Kushina steps forward, takes in a deep breath, then says "I'm Kushina. It's nice to meet all of you." And then, wanting to impress them, she says "And I plan on becoming Hokage one day."

_'Mom, Hokage? Now I know were I get it from' _thinks Naruto as he chuckles to himself.

But most of the other students instead just start laughing at her, making Kushina go red from embarrassment. "You, Hokage? Don't make me laugh...anymore than I already am." While another says "Look at how red her hair is. And her face; she looks like a tomato."

"Hey, stop that" shouts Iruka's dad, though no on listens to him.

But Kushina simply growls as she clenches her fist before shouting "You think that's funny? Then how about this?" She then leaps forward and kicks the kid who called her tomato in the face. This, of course makes everyone shut up and look at her, afraid. "Anyone else?" she ask.

"Oh brother" says Iruka's dad in an exasperated tone. "Kushina, just take a seat please so we can get started."

Kushina nods as she finds a spot which causes all the other kids around her to move away out of fear. She knew it wasn't the best way to make a first impression. But at least they knew not to make fur of her hair or round face now. But she then realizes there was still a pair of eyes looking at her. Turning her head, she sees Minato studying her curiously. She scowls at him, making him turn away for a second before looking back. _'What a weird boy' _thinks Kushina, turning her attention to the board.

The world around Naruto shifts again, this time he finds himself at the graduation ceremony. He sees his mother being handed her forehead protector while Minato watches from the side line. Naruto also notices a younger girl standing with the academy students he recognizes as a young Shizune. He doesn't see Jiraiya anywhere.

"Congratulations, all of you. I know you'll serve the village well" announced Sarutobi before all the gathered families and villagers clapped for the new genin. Minato was clapping as well, though Naruto had a feeling it was for his mother more than anyone else.

"Hey Kushina, me and the other girls are going over to Miki's house for a party. You wanna come?" asked a girl with peach colored hair.

"Sure thing. I'll meet you guys there" replied Kushina before turning and running off.

"You seem to be happy, Minato" notes Sarutobi as he walks over to the boy.

"I'm just glad to see Kushina make it to being a genin. I heard some in the class say she would never make it. But I believed in her" said Minato, watching her run off.

"I think you might like our young kunoichi. Am I right?" asked Sarutobi.

"I...um" says Minato, becoming embarrassed.

Sarutobi laughs and says "Don't worry, your secret safe with me. By the way, I received a message from Jiraiya. He's finished that special mission I asked him to do and will be back by the end of the week. And when he returns, the two of you will be leaving us."

"I see" said Minato, wishing he could stay but knowing he couldn't. _'Just one week left then, to finally tell her how I feel.'_

Kushina, though she wanted to attend the party and would later, was feeling way to energized for that right now. To help burn off that excess energy, she would do some training for an hour or two. Having been told that Tsunade had agreed to take her on as her student and would be arriving in a few days to get her was making Kushina want to train extra hard in order to impress her in their first meeting.

And so for the next three hours, she trained and pushed herself like she never had before; to the point she collapsed onto her back from sheer exhaustion. Her face red and working to catch her breath, Kushina looks to the sky and smiles. _'Watch me, mom, dad. I'll make you both proud of me.'_

She then gets up and heads home. "Lady Mito, I'm back" shouts Kushina as she enters the home. Getting no response, she looks around and says "Lady Mito?" She then remembers that Mito had a doctors appointment which was why she had missed her appointment as a genin. Sighing, she goes to her room and decided to catch a quick nap before heading to the party.

But before she can reach her bed, someone garbs her from behind, placing a rag to her mouth and nosed laced with a sleeping agent. Kushina tries to scream, but her voice is muffled from her mouth being covered and her struggle to escape her unknown attackers hold was pointless as he was obviously stronger than her. Finally, the sleep agent takes affect and Kushina passes out.

"_Mom" _shouts Naruto, knowing there was nothing he could do to help her. He then scowls at Kushina's attacker, who looked a lot like Mizuki. "Kushina, you don't belong here, dirty outsider. But you are a beautiful girl regardless. If I wasn't ordered to keep you pure, I might be tempted to have some fun with you right now" said the man with a voice that sounded like Mizuki's.

The scene shifts again and Naruto finds himself observing the Mizuki look-a-like with a tied up and still unconscious Kushina standing before three ninja bearing the Kumo symbol on their forehead protectors. "Here's what you asked for, my friends."

"You did not touch her, correct?" asked the lead Kumo ninja.

"It was really tempting; would put the bitch in her place in my opinion. But I decided to honor the deal" said the Mizuki look-a-like.

"Glad to here it, Kazuki. We'll take her now" said the Kumo as his two subordinates walk over and take Kushina from Kazuki.

"And my reward?" asked Kazuki.

The head Kumo ninja tosses a scroll at Kazuki and says "This contains five special jutsu exclusive to Kumo ninja. Don't let anyone from Konoha know you have this or know these jutsu."

"Wait, the agreement was to accept me as a Kumo so I could finally leave this second rate village behind" shouts Kazuki.

"Lord Raikage has told me that if we confirm she's unspoiled, then we shall return and ask one final thing of you; information on all Konoha's potential hiding spots. Give us that then, and we will let you come with us. And if you want to earn his favor even more, learn the location of the Senju's hidden village as well" said the lead Kumo.

"But I..." Kazuki starts to say, but stops as the lead Kumo gives him a dangerous glare. "Very well then. I'll leave you to take her then." And with that Kazuki turns and heads back to Konoha.

"_Damn you"_ shouts Naruto, his mind figuring he had just met Mizuki's father given their physical and mental similarities. He then turns his attention to the Kumo ninja who uses a jutsu to bring Kushina back to consciousness.

When she was fully awake, Kushina sees the Kumo crest and immediately tries to get on her feet and flee, but the Kumo nin slaps her hard enough to leave a red bruise on her face. "I'm being kind enough to let you walk. Don't make me regret that, little girl" said the Kumo in a very threatening voice.

The next thing Naruto know, it is well into the night and he sees his mother, tired and weary, walking with the three Kumo around her, barely able to keep in step with them. Naruto then notices she is pulling strands of her own hair out and dropping them in hopes someone, anyone would appear and save her.

"Just another hour and we'll have crossed into Shauti. Then no one will be able to save you" said the head Kumo nin, looking back at her. Kushina's response is to scowl at him.

Just then, a blur of yellow shoots out and quickly takes the two lesser Kumo nin out, making the lead nin jump away while drawing a kunai out. "Show yourself" he shouts. The unknown attacker then appears and comes flying at him, making Kumo think him a fool for attacking head on. But as he goes to attack, the mystery opponent easily dodges as he forms a ball of chakra in his hand and slams it against the Kumo nins chest. The blast slams him into a tree, allowing the mystery opponent to rush in a finish him with a kunai to the chest.

Kushina, who had stopped and watched this whole event with wide eyes, waits with baited breath as her unknown savior turns and walks towards her. She is then able to see his face, bringing a surprising smile to hers. "Minato..."

She then finds her strength giving out and she falls to the ground, but she never makes contact as Minato swiftly rushes to her side, catches her, and takes her into his arms, making her blush. "I got you, Kushina. Lets head home." And with that, Minato turns back towards the village and jumps from one tree to another with amazing speed.

_'Minato, but how? Why did YOU save me?' _wondered Kushina, thinking back to how she treated him. Usually calling him girly boy, undependable, and a softy. Her eyes then fall onto his hand that was supporting her legs and sees strands of her red hair. "My hair...?"

"You're hair is so beautiful, Kushina. Just like you" said Minato. "When it became clear you were missing, everyone was frantic looking for you. I went outside the village on a whim and found strands of your hair and followed them right to you."

"Minato..." said Kushina, her blush becoming more intense. "But why come save me yourself? Why even care about me? I mean, I always made fun of you; saw you as just some wimpy kid."

Minato comes to a stop atop a tree, the full moon behind him from Kushina's perspective. "Maybe I liked it when you made fun of me. Does it really matter? I've always thought of you as a friend and someone who's worth saving. I...Kushina, I want to be more like you. Your my idol in life and I hope I can be as amazing as you some day." Minato then smiles at her.

It was at that moment that it happened for Kushina; the moment her heart skipped a beat. And after that, she knew what this new feeling that was being born inside her meant. She was beginning to seriously fall for this boy, Minato. _'Actually, I'm the one who wants to be more like you.'_

"_Alright, dad"_ shouts Naruto as he jumps for joy.

The scene shifts back to Konoha and Naruto views Kushina's reunion with Mito and Sarutobi, the discussion on how Kushina could have been kidnapped from the village to begin with, and Kushina introducing Minato to Mito, being a little embarrassed about it. Naruto also observed several alone moments involving Kushina were it was obvious Minato was on her mind. Nothing perverted from what he could see, just her either writing in her diary about him or drawing crude pictures of the two of them with hearts in the air.

And soon, Tsunade arrived to take Kushina, who convinced her to let her stay a few more days to see Minato off. Soon there after, Jiraiya arrived and Naruto saw a scene where Jiraiya saved young Shizune from dying while she and her class had been taken on a field trip. Soon, the time had come for Jiraiya and Minato to leave and Naruto could see the departure was having a painful effect on Minato and Kushina.

"I wish you didn't have to go" said Kushina, barely able to hold back the tears she knew were wanting to fall.

"I wish I didn't have to go either, but don't lose heart, Kushina. I know we'll meet each other again" said Minato, trying to be strong for her though he himself was feeling depressed.

"I hope so" said Kushina before digging into her pocket and Minato a bracelet with the Uzumaki crest drawn upon it.

_'That's...!' _thinks Tsunade, recognizing that object immediately. It was an Uzumaki tradition in which a boy or girl gives the bracelet to the person they like and if accepted, it meant they were promising their very lives to one another. Basically, the Uzumaki Clan's wedding proposal.

"Thanks, Kushina" says Minato, accepting it. He then digs into his pockets and pulls out a familiar pendant that Naruto recognized immediately. _"The Silhouette Locket."_

Kushina takes it, says "Thank you" then hugs Minato tightly. "I'll see you again, I swear it."

The next thing Naruto knows, he's in Kushina's room, seeing his mother crying hard into her pillow. Having to be separated from Minato must have been painful to her. Suddenly, Kushina gets up with determination in her eyes, walks over to her desk, and begins to write something onto a sheet of paper. Peeking over, Naruto realizes what it was she was doing.

Kushina was running away, to join Minato on his journey. He also see Kushina recommend Tsunade take Shizune on in her place. Kushina then removes her forehead protector, leaves it by the message, packs a bag, then runs off to find her love.

Naruto then finds himself with Jiraiya and Minato. "Minato" comes Kushina's voice from a distance.

Minato and Jiraiya stop and turn back, seeing Kushina fast approaching them. "Kushina?" says Minato in surprise before running towards her.

Jiraiya smirks, then shakes his head, saying "Ah, young love is the sweetest love after all."

"Minato" shouts Kushina as she closes in.

"Kushina" shouts Minato as he does as well.

"MINATO" cries Kushina as she flings herself at him. Minato barely catches her; their impact sending them spinning around before they fall back onto the ground with Kushina atop Minato. "I'm coming with you" said Kushina before, caught in the moment, gives Minato her first kiss; a rather long kiss.

When she pulls away, cheeks pink as are Minato's, he says "How can I argue with that?"

She nods while grinning, saying "Damn right."

"That was both touching and beautiful" says Jiraiya as he walks up. "Now all we need to complete this perfect scene is a little S-E-X."

BOOM, Kushina slams her fist into Jiraiya's nose which sends the sage flying back with a train of blood behind him. "Not with you around, you damn pervy sage." screams Kushina.

Naruto, off to the side, laughs and says _"Now I know were I got my charming personality from."_

Naruto then finds himself being shown a multitude of images from his parents lives. Some of their adventures with Jiraiya, their departing Jiraiya's side at age sixteen, more adventures including an encounter with the future Raikage and a young Killer Bee, Minato and Kushina's wedding, an embarrassing image from the wedding night (to which Naruto screams "Why show this to me? Really"), then seeing them settle in a small village in an area he wasn't familiar with. He then is shown Kushina learning from the village doctor that she is pregnant and her and Minato's happiness over becoming parents. Naruto then shifts to a scene with Jiraiya visiting them.

"You know, sensei. This was a pretty awesome book" said Minato as he holds out Tales of a Gutsy Ninja.

"I thought so too" laughs Jiraiya before becoming a little depressed. "But it hardly sold anything at all. I don't know. Maybe I need to sex up the sequel. After all, smut stories seem to be all the rage these days."

Minato shakes his head, saying "Don't feel discouraged. I'm sure this will one day find the fame it truly deserves. In fact, both me and Kushina hope that our son, once he's born, will become a man much like the hero of the book. That's why we want your permission to name him after the main character."

Jiraiya becomes wide eyed and says "Are you sure? I mean, it was just a name that came to me while eating ramen one day. Heck, I almost decided on calling the hero Menma. But the name I used sounded much better. That's why I chose..."

"Naruto" says Kushina, who looked very pregnant at this point, as she entered from the kitchen. "I think its perfect name for this little one" she said before looking down and placing a hand on her belly.

"Kushina" says Jiraiya, stunned by just how beautiful she had become since he had last seen her. He then laughs nervously and says "Well, if I indirectly named him. Does that make me his godfather?"

Minato nods and says "Actually, I was hoping you'd say yes to that. And, when he's old enough, that you would train him just like you trained me."

"How can I say no to that? After all, its the least a godfather can do" says Jiraiya, smiling proudly.

Naruto smiles as well. _"So pervy sage is my godfather, huh. I guess we have a lot to talk about the next time I see him. So glad I wasn't named Menma though. Still..."_

Everything shifts again and Naruto sees his mother in labor, then her holding his infant self with Minato and Jiraiya next to her; all three looking at the infant with both awe and bliss within their eyes. He then sees Jiraiya heading off, promising to be back to visit soon.

Suddenly, everything feels colder to Naruto as he is taken to a new moment. He sees his father heading out to get groceries while Kushina feeds baby Naruto, then sings him a lullaby before putting him in his crib. Her head then quickly looks to the side and she exits the house and finds a hooded figure wearing a yellow mask with black markings on it and a single eye hole on the right a few yards away.

"So you could sense my presence. Very good?" says the masked man.

"Who are you?" asked Kushina, her tone serious.

"Just a ghost from the past. A seeker of sorts. There is something here I'm in need of" said the man.

"And that would be?" asked Kushina.

"The blood of an Uzumaki, of course. But not just any Uzumaki, but one who has that little something special that few are fortunate enough to ever have" said the man.

Kushina clenches her teeth, thinking _'Who is this guy? And how does he know about my power?'_ Normally, she would go for a proper battle, capture this guy, and get him to reveal his secrets. But with Naruto asleep not to far away, she wouldn't waste time and end this fight, and this guys life, quickly.

"I'll make the first move" says the man before charging at Kushina.

_'And your last' _thinks Kushina as white chakra in the shape of chains shoot from her body, taking her masked opponent by surprise. Before he can dodge around them, the catch him and he finds himself being bound and unable to move.

"If you truly know about my special power" says Kushina as a Rasengan appears in her hands. "Then you know that once trapped within those chains, your chakra becomes frozen and you can't use any jutsu. Now, to end this" she shouts before charging the masked man.

But instead of the Rasengan slamming into the man, both and Kushina pass right through him. "What?" says Kushina in surprise, looking back to see the man pass through her binding chains as if they weren't even there, or was it because he wasn't. "Truly, that is what I wanted to see" said the man.

_'Damn, this is gonna be harder than I thought. But how did he escape? Just who is he?' _wonders Kushina.

The mask man then suddenly turns back and looks towards the house. "Hm, it seems you aren't the only one to have that power. Perhaps the child will do instead." The man then turns fully and starts walking towards the house.

"NO, you stay away from him" shouts Kushina as she charges at the man, who turns and sends his hand phasing through her chest, making Kushina freeze as she feels his hand literally grabbing onto her heart.

"I knew that would leave you vulnerable. After all, a child is a parents greatest weakness." said the man, tightening his grip on Kushina's heart. As she coughs up blood, he says "Take heart, girl. I will spare the child's life this day. Actually, that's not a bad idea. I'll take your heart..."

And with that, the masked man pulls Kushina's heart from out of her body.

"_MMMOOOMMM" _screams Naruto as he charges the masked man. _"Damn you, you bastard" _he adds as he attacks the man, but his attack passes through which reminds Naruto that this was the past.

The sound of crying is then heard; little Naruto likely being aware his mother had been murdered. The masked man places Kushina's heart into a liquid filled jar, then enters the house and looks at the infant. "Perhaps I should take you with me. After all, it never hurts to have a spare."

But as he reaches out to take the infant, little Naruto vanishes from sight, making the masked man spin around, only to find a Rasengan being slammed into his chest, sending him blast out the back of the house. The masked man rights himself, seeing Minato holding the infant, then disappears from sight having decided to retreat for now. "Daddy's got you" said Minato, looking at his infant son. He then spins around and rushes to Kushina's side.

And then, Naruto finds himself back in Sanctuary, his cheeks wet with tears, as Mada rubs his back to comfort him. "Its my fault. Mom died because of me."

"No, no, no, dear, you can't think that. Kushina would never want you to think that. She loved you very much. Any parent would gladly die to protect their child, make any sacrifice to protect them. It was that man's fault and his alone" said Mada.

"I guess" said Naruto, still feeling guilty. "What happened after that?"

"Your father gave Kushina a proper funeral, then set out to bring you to Konoha to ask Sarutobi to care for you while he went after that man. He would have asked Jiraiya, but he had no idea where he was at the time. But when Minato arrived at Konoha, he found it under attack by that masked man and Kyubi, who he had summoned to do his dirty work" said Mada.

"I do not know if it was a coincidence that the masked man was there or if he had attacked because Minato was there, but I do know Minato faced him in battle. When their fight was over, Minato had severely injured him and sealed away his power to control all Biju, though the masked man did escape. Your father then battles Kyubi and managed to beat it as well. But the masked man had considered defeat a possibility and thus left the Kyubi booby trapped."

"Should Kyubi fall, its chakra was be released in an explosion that would wipe half of Shumoa off the map. Minato stopped this by invoking the Shinigami and asking it to take the Kyubi's Yin chakra into itself while he sealed its Yang chakra into you. With the deed done, the Kyubi's body faded away and Minato passed on the scroll contain all his and Kushina's personal effects to Sarutobi to be given to you before he himself died from the shinigami taking his soul" finished Mada.

"Why did the shinigami take dad's soul? And why seal Kyubi's Yang chakra into me? And why not the Yin chakra either?" asked Naruto.

"To ask the shinigami to do something for you, a price must be paid. The price is always the same, your soul imprisoned within it for ten thousand years. He made you a Jinchuriki so you would have the power to defeat that man yourself one day as Minato knew he would return and you would face him for one reason or another. And he had the Yin chakra taken into the shinigami because he feared keeping it complete at that time would still cause the explosion and because he feared Kyubi's full chakra being sealed within you would be to much for your infant body to handle and would kill you. Plus, the Yin chakra was a darker of the two halves and he feared it would corrupt you if it was sealed in you over the Yin" explained Mada.

Naruto is quiet for a moment, thinks hard on all he had just learn. He then clears his eyes of tears and looks at Mada with the most serious look he had ever had. "Ancient granny, I want to begin my control training. Right now if possible."

"And so we shall" said Mada as she stands with Naruto right behind her.

As they walk into the underground home, Mada says "I've been looking for that man as well as I wanted to deal with him myself. Minato, he was...like a son to me and I wanted to avenge both him and Kushina, who I never got a chance to meet. But that man has proven very hard to track, even for me."

As they pass through a long hall filled with doors that opened into the various rooms within the structure, Mada adds "Naruto, you must master Kyubi's Yang chakra before your sixteenth birthday."

"How come?" asked Naruto.

"That was part of the deal with the shinigami. On your sixteenth birthday; the moment you were born to be more specific, the Yin chakra will be released and it will seek out its Yang counterpart which is within you so both can become one again. At that time, you will have to battle the Yin chakra and take it into yourself before it can take the Yang, and you as well, into itself."

"So its gonna be like when I faced Yami?" asked Naruto.

Mada shakes her head and says "Yami was just practice. Kyubi's Yang chakra will be something on a whole other level. And if you fail to win here, you'll either explode as was that man's intention should Kyubi be defeated or you will lose your humanity and memories and become the new Kyubi."

"So, in other words. I have to win" says Naruto as he clenches his fist. "Don't worry, I'll be ready."

They soon reach the end of the hall, where Fuu and Moegi are waiting for them. Moegi runs up and hugs Naruto while Mada nods at Fuu who turns and opens the door at the halls end. They enter and find a sterile room with a small pedestal at its center with a glowing orb upon it. And on the far wall was a shelf containing dozens more of these orbs, possibly hundreds.

"What is this?" asked Naruto.

"This is the Vault of the Casteopa; the containment orbs that hold the sacred wonders of the ancient world before the Age Darkness. When it become clear that the world would undergo great change, these orbs were created to store and protect these special places. We'll be using several of them for the training" said Mada.

"But won't that risk damaging them then? If they're sacred, isn't t this deplorable?" asked Naruto.

"Not to worry, Naruto. The orbs are designed to keep them in pristine order. Even if we destroy that which is sealed within the Casteopa, then it will be returned to its original state as soon as we leave. So, we can cut loose and have some fun without any permanent harm being done" says Fuu.

"If you're sure" said Naruto, hoping they were right.

Mada steps forward, placing her hand upon the orb as Fuu places her hand over Mada's. Naruto picks Moegi up and they both place their hands over Fuu's. "OK children, lets begin" says Mada as the orb glows brightly and all four are sucked into the Casteopa.

**Next time: secret of control, seven months, links to Ame, kidnap the firecracker**


	57. 57 Flight of the Firecracker

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.57: Flight of the Firecracker**

The world melted away as Naruto found himself being sucked into the orb. He then finds himself falling through a weird prism like tunnel before finding himself standing again on solid ground. But he was far from being in the same room as before.

"Now this is a something else" says Naruto, eyes wide as he gets a good look at where they were.

They were standing atop a massive rock that was floating high in the air. And all around them were additional rocks of various sizes and shapes, also floating. Some were even large enough to be considered small mountains. "What is this place? And why are the rocks floating?" asked Naruto.

"Pinnacle Rocks, one of the many Natural Wonders of the Ancient World" said Mada, stepping forward. "And no, the floating isn't caused by it being contained here within the Casteopa. They have always floated high in the sky."

"But how is this possible?" asked Naruto looking around.

"Um..." says Mada as she looks away nervously. "Heh heh, to be honest, I'm not quite sure myself. I've heard it has to do with the rocks having a unique mineral within them. But I'm no scientist or even a geologist, so I couldn't explain it even if I knew. All I do know is that they can float and that's enough."

"Good point" says Naruto, knowing he probably wouldn't understand any explanation given.

"Who cares about the hows and why's here. We didn't come here for a history lesson or to sight see" says Fuu as she jumps from the rock they were on to one across from them.

"Yeah, you're right" says Naruto, joining her. "Let's do this."

"We'll watch them from here, OK Moegi" says Mada as she takes a seat. Moegi nods as she sits by Mada. "Naruto, follow Fuu's instructions to get started" yells Mada from her seat.

Naruto looks back and nods at her, then at Fuu and says "OK teacher, what do I do first?"

"Enter Mazuko Mode, of course. But now that you've completed the trial, things will be different. Watch me closely and you will see what I mean" says Fuu before splitting her legs apart into an A-shape, her left leg out towards Naruto and her right back away from him. She also leans her upper body forward and twist it around, her left arm hover before her chest while her arm was held back, almost like she was about to toss a disc though she had none in hand.

Naruto could feel it, her calling upon her Biju chakra as a light bluish/yellow aura appears around her. He then sees a white object appear in her right hand, much like the object Mada had pulled from his seal, then slammed into his face. "Invoke" says Fuu before swinging her right arm around and placing the glowing object against her face.

The moment the object covers her face, a pulse of energy erupts from Fuu, nearly knocking Naruto off his feet. Naruto's eyes remain locked on Fuu, becoming wider as he sees the object cease its glowing, revealing it was a mask that resembled the face of an insect.

"**Shichi Mask"** says Fuu as her body is surrounded by a chakra cloak, one more stable than any Naruto had ever seen before, even on himself. And behind her was a single chakra tail swinging around.

"What...what did you do?" asked Naruto.

"**I invoked my Biju control mask. With this on, it makes controlling the Biju chakra within me super easy. This is what you gained by completing the trial. Now, it's time for you to invoke"** said Fuu.

"Naruto, call forth the power. Then, let it move you in the proper motions. The rest will take care of itself" shouts Mada from the sidelines.

"If you say so" says Naruto before taking a deep breath. _'OK, here goes nothing' _he thinks as he reaches deep into himself and makes the connection with Kyubi's power. Closing his eyes, he allows the chakra to guide his body to make the right movements, much like Mada had instructed and Fuu had shown.

He tilts his head forward as he extends his right arm up, holding it to his side while sliding his left hand into a pocket. His body begins to glow with red/orange chakra as a glowing white object appears in his right hand. "Invoke" says Naruto before swinging his right arm around and planting his mask to his face, creating a burst of chakra to blast from him. The mask takes the form of a fox's face.

"Kyu Mask" says Naruto as he looks up, making eye contact with Fuu.

"**I knew you could do it" **says Fuu as she claps her hands together.

Naruto brings his hand before himself, amazed at how calm and stable his chakra cloak looked and felt than all his previous transformations. Even his voice when he had spoken before was different than previous usages. He still sounded different, but in a different way to his natural voice. Looking back, he sees that he as well had a single chakra tail growing from the cloak.

Looking back at Fuu, Naruto ask **"So, what now?"**

"**Now we fight" **says Fuu before entering a battle stance. **"After all, what better way to gain experience and grow stronger than through battle."**

"Naruto, remember that there's no need to hold back. This place will repair itself when we exit. Also, expect to loop around if you travel to far in one direction" shouts Mada.

"**Understood"** says Naruto as he takes up his own battle stance.

"Watch closely Moegi. Soon, you'll be joining them in training" says Mada to the younger girl.

Moegi looks at her and nods, then looks back at Naruto and Fuu. After a few tense moments, Naruto and Fuu launch at each other, beginning their battle/training.

**Seconds pass into minutes**

**minutes into hours**

**hours into days into months**

**and like that,**

**seven months have passed since training began...**

Naruto Uzumaki, now a good way into his fourteenth year of life, stood atop a rock with his eyes closed as he attempts to sense out his opponent. In the seven months he's spent training, he had grown a great deal stronger, now up to manifesting three chakra tails without effort. Also, his sealing skills were on par with those of Jiraiya's and soon he would begin working on the Flying Raijin jutsu.

Naruto's eyes shoot open as he spins around and thrusting his right arm outward, launching five different chakra claws out from the cloak around his arm. "There you are."

Two of the chakra claws form red versions of the Rasengan; dubbed the Blazing Rasengan by Naruto due to its appearance, that slam into a lager rock, causing it to shatter from the power. Fuu comes racing out from the other side as Naruto's three remaining claws already redirected to give chase.

"**Twelve point eight seconds; a new record, Naruto" **says Fuu before breaking into a series of spins, dodging each and everyone of Naruto's chakra claws. She then makes a beeline to attack Naruto directly and moves in with near sonic speed befitting her Biju's power as being the fasted of the nine.

Naruto disengages his claws, then brings his arms up protectively as Fuu's punch lands, the force of the impact sending Naruto crashing down and through the rock he was standing on, destroying it as well. Fuu then retracts two of her four chakra tails, then forms two chakra wings behind her before zipping towards Naruto again.

Naruto manages to right himself quickly, again glad he had finally learned how to use his Biju chakra to fly last month like Fuu could, then looks at Fuu who stops before him, then flaps her chakra wings at a rapid pace, creating a screeching harmonic sound wave; one loud enough to make most ears bleed.

_'Gr, I hate when she does this. It always leaves me with a headache' _mentally screams Naruto, covering his ears. He glares at her none the less as she brings her fist back to punch him. _'Not this time, sister. I have a little surprise I've made just for you.'_

"**Time for you to clock out" **says Fuu as she sends her fist forward.

"**Not this time" **replies Naruto before concentrating a massive build of chakra into his throat, then releases it in one uber intense **"RRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!"**

Naruto's demonic roar is even louder than Fuu's screeching wings; the explosive shock wave blows them both back away from each other and creates an expanding sonic bubble that can be easily seen by the naked eye that destroys most of the remaining Pinnacle Rocks.

"**Kami damn it, Naruto. That hurt" **shouts Fuu while gripping her head, hoping it will stop the ringing in her ears.

"**Now you know how I feel when you use those damn wings of yours" **retorts Naruto.

"**What?" **shouts Fuu, barely hearing him due to the ringing.

After a few minutes of them both standing there and allowing their hearing to return to normal, Fuu smiles beneath her mask and says **"Still, that was pretty sweat though, Naruto. When did you make that little number?"**

"**At nights, during secret training session when you and ancient granny were asleep" **replied Naruto, grinning beneath his mask.

Fuu chuckles, then says **"You sneaky bastard, I'm gonna have to keep a better watch over you. Now, let's continue."**

Naruto and Fuu charge one another again. But before they can collide, they both spot from the corner of their eyes a pair of ice spears shooting at them, which the manage to dodge easily. They then look and see Moegi in her no tailed, unmasked chakra cloak sitting on the last surviving rock, grinning at them.

"**Don't let your guards down, or I might get you both" **she says in the sweetest, most innocent voice she can.

In the seven months since coming here, Moegi had undergone a major change. To look at her now, to hear her talk, you'd never guess that nine months before she had been living on an island in the middle of the ocean, living like a wild animal.

"**Getting a little cocky there, ain't ya, ice girl?"** asked Fuu, still impressed by how far she had come with both her Mazuko Mode and her ability to use the Ice Style jutsu.

"**Me, cocky? Never" **says Moegi before getting onto her feet, turning around, sticking her butt out, then patting it with her right hand. **"That's right, Give it to me right here, baby. Show me what you got."**

Naruto looks at Fuu with a scowl on his face, not that you could see his face. But his eyes said it all. **"Fuu, I swear I'm gonna kill you for teaching her that."**

Fuu looks at him and ask **"For what? Come on, even you have to admit that's cute."**

"**That is not cute, that's sick. She's an eight year old girl for Kami's sake. Girls that age don't need to be sticking their butts out, saying come and get it" **shouts Naruto.

Fuu blows a raspberry at him, then mumbles **"I still think its cute."**

Moegi then turns back towards them, saying **"If you won't come to me, then I'll come to you."** She then launches herself at Naruto and Fuu, wanting to join in the fight.

But before the three of them can start sparring, another voice catches their attention. "Alright you three, that's enough for now. Time for a break" shouts Mada, standing on thin air not far away.

"**Aw, but I really wanted to show them what I can do" **whines Moegi as Naruto and Fuu revert to normal.

"Next time for sure" says Fuu as she air walks over to Mada.

Naruto rubs Moegi's head affectionately, saying "Come on. Its chow time."

Moegi's cheek turn pink, as she really liked Naruto (not in a romantic way but in a girl who is obsessed with her brother way...or is that the same thing?) and nods as she returns to normal. "OK, big brother" says Moegi as she latches onto his arm and they join Mada and Fuu and warp out of the Casteopa.

Once they had exited the Casteopa, they went and had some lunch. Afterwords, during cleaning, Fuu takes notice of something important. "Hey grandma, we're nearly out of food. We still have enough for dinner, just not much of one."

"Alright, then. I guess we better go grocery shopping" said Mada as she went and grabbed some money. "Naruto, you stay here and work with Moegi on her chakra exercises, OK? We'll be back by evening."

"Sure thing, ancient granny" said Naruto.

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto and Moegi were up above. Naruto was sitting in a chair with a drink in hand, watching Moegi as she practiced attempting to create a Shadow Clone. "Keep going, just like that, Moegi. Just a little more and you'll have it."

Naruto then takes a drink as Moegi looks at him and ask "Say, big brother. If I can create a Shadow Clone, can we do it?"

Naruto immediately turns his head to the side, spitting out all the juice he just just drank before hacking and coughing, making Moegi run over to him and pat him on his back. "Big brother, are you OK?"

After a moment, Naruto looks at Moegi and ask "Where the hell did you learn about that?"

"From Fuu, of course. I was with her in her room a few days ago and she was letting me look through her magazines. One of them was really weird, showing this boy and girl who were naked and the boy was sticking..." says Moegi.

Naruto blocks out the rest, mentally screaming _'FFFUUUUUU!'_

"...and when I asked her about it, she said they were doing it. I asked her to explain and she said that a girl who has a guy she really, really, really likes can do it with said guy. And since I really, really, really like my big brother, that means we can do it too, right?" finished Moegi.

Naruto grinds her teeth together as he imagines a thousand and ones ways to make Fuu suffer for corrupting poor Moegi. He then grabs Moegi's shoulders and says "Moegi, you are to young to even be thinking about doing it, let alone anything relating to it. Understand? Furthermore, girls don't do it with their brothers. It's...just, well..."

"Yes, big brother?" asked Moegi.

Naruto sighs and says "Look, you're just to young to fully understand, OK. I'll explain everything myself once your older, say twelve of thirteen. Till then, just forget about what you saw. And in the future, if Fuu tells you ANYTHING, you come and tell me right away and I will set you straight."

"OK, Naruto. I understand. Never trust Fuu without your consent" said Moegi.

"Exactly, now get back to training" says Naruto.

After another few minutes, Moegi says "Brother, I've been wondering about something."

Naruto, who had been reading through his parents jutsu book, looks at her and ask "What is it?", hoping it wasn't anything like what she had just asked.

"Do you think your control mask can be used to scare people?" asked Moegi.

"Huh?" asked Naruto.

"Well, I know it makes controlling our Biju chakra easier and that the mask can also act as a face guard as well. But I was thinking; seeing as it covers your face, changes your voice and all, you could give people a good scare as they wouldn't know its you unless they already have seen you in it before" notes Moegi.

"Moegi, our Mazuko Mask aren't meant for entertainment purposes. They're meant to be used for serious matters. Understand?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, brother" says Moegi.

"It's fine" says Naruto, still looking through the jutsu book. But he then stops as he gives her question some thought. _'Still, she does have a point. With the mask on, no one would recognize me unless they've seen me put it on before...hey, that reminds me.'_

Naruto then stands quickly, making Moegi ask "Big brother, is something wrong?"

"Moegi, your question actually reminded me of a promise I made nearly a year ago. With the mask, maybe I can finally keep it" says Naruto before walking towards the portal gate.

"Can I come, big brother?" asked Moegi, running up to join him.

"No, stay here and practice your clone jutsu. I'll be back soon and if you can make a perfect Shadow Clone, then I'll give you a reward" says Naruto, stopping before the portal and looking back at her.

"You mean we'll do it?" asked Moegi excitedly.

"No, we're not going to do it. I told you to forget that" roars Naruto, really wanting to kill Fuu now.

"OK, OK, geez. I was just teasing you. Hurry back, big brother" says Moegi with a grin on her face.

_'Damn, I'm only fourteen and I already feel like I'm getting gray hairs'_ mentally moans Naruto as she turns and jumps into the portal

**(Ame)**

In a rare occurrence, it had stopped raining down upon Ame, capital city of all Shumoa. This break aloud the residents and travelers and chance to enjoy time outside the covers of umbrella's and canopy's. And for one couple in particular, it made it easier to go about their mission.

You see, this couple wasn't actually a couple. In truth, they were Konoha nin on a secret mission. Following the attack on Senhana by Orochimaru, Tsunade had learned of the suspicions about Ame and had contacted the Kazekage of Suna and Tsuchikage of Iwa and the three Kage had formed an alliance of sorts to unlock the mystery's that was Ame. To be more specific, to determine what was true and what wasn't regarding the rumors that have been circulating.

To that end, each village would send a team of two ninja on a weekly basis, transformed and acting as travelers, into Ame to observe the locals and learn as much as they could. During the seven months since this had been started, they had learned that the Grand Daimyo; Hanzo the Salamander, had apparently become ill and had intrusted his rule to a figure known only as Pain while he recovered.

But know one was allowed to meet with this Pain save for a few select individual's who serve Ame in some important way. And no one was allowed to meet with Hanzo, period. This occurrence was in and of itself odd. But the fact this news wasn't being passed on to the five Feudal Lords of Senai, Keishu, Dumo, Shauti, and Fumala was even odder and more damning on what this could really mean.

"Man, this is so boring" said the girl quietly under her breath.

"At least tomorrow we get relieved by the next group" said her male counterpart.

"Not soon enough if you ask...wait, who's that?" she asked, her eyes falling onto a suspicious hooded figure making his way through a crowd into a darkened alley way.

"Let's find out" said the man as they get up and stealthily following after.

Once in the alley, they take a moment to get to some higher ground, then follow the hooded figure till he stops suddenly. After a second of waiting, some sort of plant begins rising out of the ground. The plant turns out to be a man/plant hybrid that makes the Konoha nin wonder if he was some sort of human/Makian crossbreed.

"Report" says the hooded man.

"The men continue their observations. And we've gotten detailed information on the movements of 3 Jinchuriki. The two from Kumo still prove difficult to track though and Kyubi's Jinchuriki is still missing. But I believe we may have identified Gobi's host" said the plant man.

"Very good, Zetsu. Keep on this for me. Time is running" said the hooded man.

"Understood, lord Madara" said Zetsu before sinking back into the ground.

_'Madara? You mean thee Madara? No way, it can't be. He's dead' _thinks the man, more than familiar with the legend of Madara Uchiha.

The hooded man the turns around, allowing the two nin to see his face. He was wearing an orange mask with spiral lines carved into it. And the mask had a single eye socket for the right eye.

"_No way, it can't be. Is that that man who attacked the village fourteen years ago?" _asked the girl using the special mind link tags Inoichi had provided the teams with.

"_The mask has a different color and design, but I think so. In either event, we need to inform lady Hokage and our Suna and Iwa counterparts about this at once" _says the man before the both head off to do just that.

The masked man continues to walk back through the alley way, allowing an unseen smile to form. He had known he was being followed and that ninja from three Hidden Village's were here in Ame. In fact, he had wanted them to notice him. Things had become rather boring as of late and he was curious how the villages would react, especially Konoha. And if he was lucky, then maybe it would provide him and his allies the chance to finally capture a Jinchuriki or two.

**(Naruto)**

Night had fallen by the time Naruto had reached the outer walls that guarded Tamatsa. Looking and careful observing the movements of the guards, he was able to easily get over the wall without being noticed. He then stealthily made his way up towards the Hyuga Clan compound.

Arriving there, he found a nearby high spot and used this to take a look at the inner area. Though there were guards on patrol, he was confident he could dance around them without being noticed. He then spies a bush large enough to use to hide behind and, once he saw an opening, jumped over the wall and darted to the bush, not making a sound.

Once he was behind the bush, he carefully peeks his head out and takes a look around. _'So far so good. But where could her room be?' _he wondered before his eyes noticed a servant girlemerge from a side room, walk along the outer path, then turn and enter an exterior hall way. Naruto channels chakra into his ears so he could hear her footsteps to which he was keeping count.

He hears her come to a stop, the knock against the door before saying "Lady Hanabi, I brought you some tea."

_'Bingo' _thinks Naruto, now knowing to keep listening in.

After a few moments, the girl exits the room, turns back, and says "If there won't be anything else? Very well. Good night, lady Hanabi." Naruto then counts in his head the number of steps he hears her take. Once she can be seen, he carefully observes her steps as well, making note of the space she makes for each step. Once she had disappeared back into the previous room and he was sure the coast was clear, Naruto silently moves to the hall way and makes his way to Hanabi's room.

After a moment, he comes to a stop before a door which, if he had counted correctly, would enter into Hanabi's bedroom. Placing a hand upon the handle, he turns it ever so gently and opens the door just a crack, then peeks in. He is unable to see Hanabi so he risk opening it even more, poking hid head in and looking around. He quickly sees his target, sitting with her back to him, in front of a mirror, preparing for bed. Not wasting another moment, Naruto sneaks in and closes the door, making sure to lock it for safety reasons.

Once he was in the room, he considers what to do next. He could just speak up, but she might scream without thinking and make this really complicated. So, he goes with option B. Naruto sneaks up behind Hanabi, then lunges forward and grabs her with one hand while covering her mouth with the other.

Naturally, Hanabi does scream as she thinks she's being attacked or worse, but Naruto's hand does a good job of muffling her voice. Knowing he needs to calm her quickly, Naruto says "Hanabi, it's alright. Its me, Naruto."

"Naruto?" says Hanabi with her muffled voice. Naruto then allows her to turn her head so she can see him and he ask "Do you remember me?" to which she nods. "OK, I'm gonna let go now so please don't scream."

Naruto takes his hands off her and Hanabi turns around fully with a puzzled look on her face. "Lord Naruto, what are you doing here? Did someone pay you to kidnap me?"

"Kidnap? Hell no, I would never accept a mission like that" says Naruto, shaking his head. "I've come here to keep that promise I made you. I'm here to save you."

Elsewhere, Hanabi's personal attendant stops and says "Oh, I almost forgot. Lord Hiashi wanted me to inform lady Hanabi about tomorrows schedule." She then turns and heads back to Hanabi's room.

"The promise? But didn't you already keep it by saving my sister?" asked a confused Hanabi.

"Yes, but I also made a promise to save you as well. Remember?" asked Naruto.

Hanabi gives a moments thought to this, then says "Oh yes, I remember now. But I told you it wasn't necessary. Besides, won't you get your village in trouble by saving me?"

"That's...not really an issue these days" says Naruto, a pang of sadness being felt for a second.

"Did something happen?" asked Hanabi.

"It's a long story, but I'll give you a super abridged version of it" says Naruto before starting to explain some of what's been going on to her, mostly about Hinata and her current life.

Outside, the attendant is about to knock on Hanabi's door when she realizes she can her a male's voice coming from within. Becoming worried, she carefully tries to door and finds it locked, then leans in and presses her ear against the door to hear what was being said.

"...but the important thing here is that I've come to take you away from all this. And if I have to kidnap you to do it, then so be it" says Naruto confidently.

_'Kidnap? Oh no, lady Hanabi's in danger. I must inform lord Hiashi at once' _thinks the attendant before running to alert her master.

Hanabi sighs, but then smiles and even giggles lightly. "To be honest, I forgot you have a very determined personality. Once you set your mind to something, you see it through no matter what, am I right?"

"You say that as if its a bad thing" jokes Naruto, making them both laugh. "Seriously though, do you really want to stay here and marry your cousin in a few years or worse, be put into the same situation as Hinata was, being sold to a pervert who in turn sells you to others?"

"No, I don't want any of that" says Hanabi before turning and looking at her reflection in the mirror. "If I come with you, will I see Hinata again?"

"Of course. Well, not right away as we'll need to hide you for a little bit. If your dad has kept track of Hinata, then he knows she's with the Order of Ama now and may sends someone there to look. Once things have cooled down, we'll go see her together" said Naruto, wanting to see her himself after these long seven months without seeing her.

Hanabi looks back at him, then nods and says "Lord Naruto, please take me away from all of this."

"That's what I came here for. Quick, grab anything you want to bring and I'll seal it inside a scroll, then we'll sneak out" said Naruto as he pulls an empty scroll from his black hoodie and begins making the appropriate seal on it. "And also, just call me Naruto. Being addressed as lord Naruto just feels weird."

"OK, lo...Naruto" said Hanabi, her cheeks lightly pink as she quickly grabs a few clothes and several other cherished things. After a few moments, she was finished and Naruto seals all her belongings into the scroll then places it back on its holder.

"Ready to go?" asked Naruto, getting a nod from Hanabi. As they walk to the door, they are stopped dead when someone begins to beat against the door hard.

"Hanabi, Hanabi. Open up immediately" shouts Hiashi from the other side.

"Oh no, father" says Hanabi, suddenly backing away, her voice filled with terror from hearing her fathers angry tone.

_'Damn, someone must had heard us talking'_ thinks Naruto.

"Hanabi, answer me. Men, bust this door down. Immediately" shouts Hiashi.

Thinking fast, Naruto turns to Hanabi and presses his index and middle fingers of his left hand to her forehead, saying "Sorry, no time." Before she can ask what he's doing, Hanabi's eyes roll back into her head as she passes out. Naruto catches her and holds her under his left arm.

_'Better they think she really is being kidnapped just in case I fail to get her out' _thinks Naruto before raising his right hand and quietly saying "Invoke."

Outside, Hiashi and Neji stand to the side while several guards ram themselves hard against the door, but are themselves blasted back along with the door due to a sudden force of chakra blasting outwards. Hiashi and Neji quickly run into the room with more guards behind them, then stop dead in their tracks when they see the sight before them.

From their perspective, they behold a humanoid Makian holding an unconscious Hanabi at its side. "You devil, let go of her this instant" shouts Neji.

Naruto looks at Hanabi, then back at Neji and decides to play along. **"Why, and give up my new toy? I think I'll pass."** Naruto then levitates himself in the air while one of the Hyuga guards yells "It can talk?"

"I think you'll won't" shouts Neji as he launches himself at Naruto, who easily spins around and kicks him back into Hiashi who had also began moving at him. Naruto then turns and shoots through the window, then makes for the wall.

"You're not going anywhere, foul demon" yells a familiar voice, making Naruto turn to see Ko coming at him with his spear. Though Naruto knew this wasn't the time for getting some sweet payback, he couldn't help himself as he easily dodges the spear thrust, then grabs it before leaning in close to Ko's face.

"**Little man, I think it's time to show you just how out of league you are against an opponent of my caliber" **says Naruto, using the same line Ko had fed him when they had battled before. He then snaps the spear in half, head butts Ko to knock him to the ground, the shoots into the air and looks down at him.

"Damn you, you freak" shouts Ko, unable to stand due to the blow and obviously not realizing who it was he was fighting, which was a good thing.

"**Never forget this loss, boy. You will never be the equal to a Jinchuriki"** says Naruto, again repeating Ko's words from before, for the most part. And again, Ko doesn't make the connection as he had forgotten about that. All he does is scowl at Naruto.

_'Enough fun. Time to head home' _thinks Naruto before turning and seeing a flash of gold streak across his face. Naruto immediately backs off, then brings his right hand up and feels his mask, shocked to find it having been cut. _'What the hell?'_ he thinks as he looks to see his attacker.

Hiashi stands atop the wall, wielding a weapon like none Naruto had ever seen. "Foul demon, if you value your life, then release the girl at once. Or shall I slay you with this weapon, Vajra?"

"**Vajra?" **says Naruto. He had never heard of this weapon before. But is instincts were telling him that facing it was not a good idea. Staying here was also not a good idea either.

Hiashi jumps at him, swinging the short, metal weapon at Naruto, releasing a light that to him resembled a blade. His intent was to cut this beats down once and for all. But Naruto ducks under, feeling it pass through and dispel the chakra cloak along his back. Then Naruto streaks forward onto the wall, then launched himself high into the air before flying off as fast as he could.

He could faintly hear Hiashi's roar in the distance. Naruto then takes a roundabout route back to the portal, just to make sure he wasn't followed.

**(Temple of Ama)**

Setsuna's eyes bulge open as she cries out, experiencing another one of her more painful premonitions. Ai, who's room was next to hers, quickly bolts from her chair and races in. "Setsuna, Setsuna, what's wrong?"

"I...the pain..." says Setsuna before the vision, and the pain it was causing, fades. She then breathes heavily as Ai rubs her back. Sakuya, who hadn't been to far away, comes running in and kneels down before them.

"What did you see?" she asked with little concern in her voice.

"Lady Sakuya, is this really the best time?" asked Ai, a little disturbed by Sakuya's lack of concern for Setsuna's well being.

"It's not like this hasn't happened before. She'll be fine like always after a few minutes" says Sakuya matter of fact like. "Setsuna, the vision?"

After a moment to catch her breath and collect her thoughts, she looks at Sakuya with beads of sweat running down her face and says "Hinata, Tenten. I need to see them now."

"Ai, go get them...at once" orders Sakuya, getting a nod from Ai who then leaves the room.

Once they were alone, Sakuya grabs Setsuna's head rather forcibly and makes her look her directly in the eyes. "Now, tell ME exactly what you saw. Everything, even the littlest detail. NOW!"

**(Sanctuary)**

"YOU IDIOT!" shouts Fuu before leaping up and pounding her fist down upon Naruto's head, hard which makes Naruto shlink down, grabbing said head to keep his skull from splitting. "What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself and us in a lot of trouble,"

She then continues to hit him and Naruto is unable to do anything but take her beating while Moegi stands off to the side, cringing at each and every hit. Nearby, Hanabi looks at Mada and says "I'm sorry if my being here has caused any trouble."

Mada shakes her head and says "No trouble at all, dear. Fuu's just being a little over dramatic is all."

Fuu then cease her punching and grabs Naruto by the collar. "Come on, we're going into the Casteopa for some serious no holds barred training."

"Uh oh, big brother's gonna die" says Moegi, getting up and following.

"Wait" says Naruto, getting Fuu to stop and release him. "Before that, I need to ask granny something."

"What is it, dear?" asked Mada.

"Have you ever heard of a weapon called Vajra?" asked Naruto.

"Vajra? Vajra?" says Mada as she thinks it over. "One of the sacred treasure of the ancient world; much like the Kusanagi Blade or the Nyoi-bo Staff. Why do you ask?"

"Because lord Hiashi had it and it nearly took my head off. It was even able to cut my mask and dispel some of my Biju chakra too" explained Naruto.

"I see" says Mada, looking grave. _'Maybe its time I made a house call to the Hyuga Clan.'_

"Enough stalling, Naruto. Time for you to be punished" says Fuu, figuring Mada was on top this issue.

"Speaking of being punished" said Naruto, suddenly turning and giving Fuu a scary look that actually made her step back. "I think I'm the one who's gonna be dishing out punishment to you."

"For what reason? I didn't go off and nearly blow our cover through a kidnapping mission" retorts Fuu.

"Don't think I don't know; that I wouldn't find out. You've let Moegi look through those perverted magazines of yours, filling her head with stuff she's way to young for" said Naruto in a crazy, dangerous tone.

Fuu gulps and says "Oh, yeah. That..." She then gulps before turning and making a run for it.

"Oh no you don't. You're not getting away from me. INVOKE" shouts Naruto as he enters Mazuko Mode and goes after Fuu. **"When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna..."**

"Do it with her?" shouts Moegi before laughing.

"**NNNOOOO, DAMN IT" **shouts Naruto, now really pissed.

Off to the side, Mada looks at Hanabi and says "I'm really glad you're here. It'll be nice to have a normal person around for a change."

"Thank you" said Hanabi.

"By the way, will you hold out your hand for a second?" asked Mada, ignoring Fuu's cries for help.

"OK" says Hanabi, doing as asked. "Why did you want me to do this?"

Mada pulls an odd looking silver object from her robes and says "Just want to draw some blood in order to make sure your healthy. Just to be safe. And don't worry, you won't feel a thing."

Hanabi nods and allows Mada to get some blood from her. True to Mada's word, she hadn't felt anything. She then sees Mada move her thumb over the device, then hears weird clicking noises before seeing a green light coming from the device. "Is that a good sign?"

"Hm, oh yes,of course. You're as healthy as a horse. Now come, let me show you around" says Mada before leading Hanabi towards the stairs that led underground.

_'Who would have thought it. Hinata's little sister is also the back up Byakugan bearer with her eyes still in their dormant phase. Even if it was just a coincidence; good job in finding and bringing her here to us, Naruto' _thinks Mada, now feeling more confident in their chances in stopping the second Age of Darkness from happening.

**Next time: catching up, Hinata and Tenten head to Ame, Naruto; rage over Ame**

**only five chapters left to act 1: Overdrive reaches its conclusion...**


	58. 58 Rain Down in Fire 1

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.58: Rain Down in Fire 1**

Hinata and Tenten stood before Chiyo, who was sitting down, and Sakuya, who was standing to her right, in the Slayers meeting room. "Hey Sakuya, you do no its rather late, right?" asked Tenten, yawning from having to wake up after just falling asleep.

"It's never to late to deal with a mission. I thought I taught you that? Besides, I'm tired too but you don't see me complaining" points out Sakuya.

"That's because you'll likely be going right back to bed when this meeting is over" retorts Tenten.

"Easy, Tenten" says Hinata, trying to stop the possible argument she knew was coming. "Lady Chiyo, what's going on?"

"Nice to see at least one girl here as some maturity in here" jokes Chiyo, getting sour looks from Tenten and Sakuya. "The reason why you both were called was because Setsuna has had another potent vision."

"About us?" asked Tenten.

"According to Setsuna, she saw the both of you in a forested area a few miles east southeast of Ame. She also saw Naruto, Moegi, and a third person that she did not know" explained Sakuya.

"Naruto?" says Hinata, a hope of seeing him again after seven months of nothing present in her voice.

"That's right. Though Setsuna didn't see any Makian's present, she still believes you two must be there for some important reason" said Sakuya. "Also, she spoke of two others; men dresses in black cloaks with red cloud like patterns who were attacking Naruto and the others. Based on Setsuna's descriptions of them, I believe one of them may be a Jinchuriki due to this man having a beast like face."

"So should we leave now?" asked Tenten.

"No; go ahead and get a few hours of rest and leave by sunrise. Also, pack for the long hall. Since we don't know when this event is going to happen and I wish you to remain there until these events have played out, consider you may be there for a while" says Setsuna.

"Understood" says Hinata as she and Tenten bow.

"Be careful out there. The two men with the black cloaks concern me" says Chiyo.

Fifteen minutes later, Hinata is back in her room, finishing up with her packing before she got some sleep. Though she was tired, the prospect of finally seeing Naruto again was making her giddy with excitement. A knock at her door catches Hinata's attention.

"Come in" she says as she closes up her travel pack.

The door opens and Setsuna quickly enters the room, shutting the door behind her. "Setsuna? Shouldn't you be resting now? I heard your visions can be draining."

Setsuna nods, saying "They are, but there was something I needed to tell you. But you can't let anyone else know about this. Not Tenten, or lady Chiyo, or especially Sakuya."

"What is it?" asked Hinata.

Setsuna then moves closer and says in a low voice to make sure she isn't heard by anyone besides Hinata. "I had two visions, not one. The first you already have been told about. The second, which I haven't even told Sakuya about, concerns you and Naruto directly."

"Me and Naruto? What happens?" Hinata ask.

"I saw the two of you together and alone in a field full of flowers with a small forest nearby. You were in you Slayer garments, thus making me think either you had told him about us, the real us or he had found out somehow. The both of you are talking about some sort of alliance, and then you both kiss each other. Rather passionately" says Setsuna.

Hinata blushes as she looks away and says "A passionate kiss, really?"

Setsuna nods and says "And after that, the vision shifted and I saw...I saw you and him on the ground, naked and...Hinata, you two were...you know..."

Hinata's whole face goes red at what this means. "Do you know when this happens?"

"Judging from the fact your hair was in the same state as it is now, I'd say within the month" said Setsuna, commenting on the fact Hinata had recently began to grow her hair out again.

_'So, in less than a month, I'll be giving myself, all of myself, to Naruto'_ thinks Hinata, both a little nervous and yet filled with expectation and excitement over the fact.

"But just so you know, my visions aren't always perfect. When I have a vision, I'm being shown what will happen in the near future at that exact moment. But there's always a chance things can change between the time of the vision and the time the vision showed me based on choices" explained Setsuna.

Hinata nods, then says "I understand. If it does happen, then I'll know what do do."

_'I had sex with Naruto. Best day ever' _thinks Hinata about what she'll be thinking that day.

**(Sanctuary, the following morning)**

Hanabi flipped to a new page of the book she was reading, somehow ignoring the loud noises that were being made from the three way battle between Naruto, Fuu, and Moegi. For today's training exercise, Mada had sent them into the Casteopa that contained an ancient jungle temple known as Anakara Wot.

Mada sighed as she saw another of the temples majestic towers collapses due to the violent clashing going on within the temple. Though she knew it would all be undone once they left the Casteopa, it was still a little heart breaking to see such and ancient and sacred temple getting trashed.

She averts her eyes away from the destruction and looks at Hanabi, smiling a little. Since coming here, Mada had found Hanabi to be a very interesting girl. She had been reading through Mada's extensive library that was filled with thousands of books, many of which were from the world before the Age of Darkness and was soaking up everything within them like a sponge. Mada had even been impressed with her ability to remember everything she had read.

"You are quite a special girl, Hanabi" says Mada.

Hanabi doesn't respond at first, but then feels eyes on her and looks over at Mada. "I'm sorry, lady Mada. Did you say something?"

Mada shakes her head and says "No, nothing important. But I am impressed with you. Able to read through that book while their making all that noise." A sudden deafening boom has Mada turn back and see the whole temple collapsing down, likely burying her Jinchuriki beneath the rubble.

"Back home, I was never allowed to leave the compound...or to do much of anything, really. Reading books was one of those few luxuries that I was permitted. Plus, everything written in your books are really interesting; fascinating even. But..."

"Yes, what is it?" asked Mada as Naruto and Moegi blast out of the temple in the background.

"In several books, I noticed a word I have never heard before being used. Do you know what a Kaiju is, lady Mada?" asked Hanabi as Fuu flies out of the temple and the three Jinchuriki continue their fight atop the rubble.

"Kaiju? Now that's a name I haven't heard in a very long time" says Mada. "A Kaiju is the name given to the nine sacred guardians that once protected our world from the threat of the Yoma that lived within the Makai Realm, called Makian's by the people of Shumoa."

"So they were like the opposites of the Biju then?" asked Hanabi.

Mada rubs her chin, then says "I suppose that's one way to think about it. The Kaiju and the Biju are polar opposites. The Biju are lords of darkness and the Kaiju were the servants of light."

"So what happened to them? Why aren't they spoken of in post AoD books?" asked Hanabi.

"They...made the ultimate sacrifice while aiding the Sage of the Six Paths during his final battle with the mother of all Biju, the Jubi. And as far as why history books don't recall them? Some things are just to hard and painful to keep alive in conscious memory said Mada.

Just then, a sound is heard coming from Mada's pouch. She reaches in there and pulls out another strange device, one that was much like the device she had used to check Hanabi's blood. "Fuu,come here a moment" shouts Mada, bringing the fight to a stop.

Naruto, Moegi, and Fuu land before here and Fuu ask **"What's up, grandma?"**

"One of our Jinchuriki trackers have picked up a possible potential" says Mada.

"**Seriously? Do you know who?"** asked Fuu before reverting to normal.

"Based on these readings, I'd say its Gobi's Jinchuriki" says Mada, returning the device to her pouch.

"The five tailed, huh? Can't miss this opportunity" says Fuu.

"Brother, what's going on?" asked Moegi.

"I think our family may be getting bigger" says Naruto, guessing correctly about what was going on.

"We can hope, Naruto" says Fuu. "So, when do we leave?"

"Right now" says Mada before returning them all to Sanctuary. As they walk up to the surface, Mada says "Naruto, you stay here with Moegi and Hanabi while me and Fuu go see if we can find Gobi's host."

"Aw, we can't go with you?" ask Naruto and Moegi together.

"Not today, but next time" says Mada before she breaks into a run that was rather surprising for one of her age with Fuu right behind her.

"Well that just sucks" says Moegi before sitting on the ground in a huff.

While Naruto agreed, there was no helping it. "Well, I guess we'll get back to your Shadow Clone training, Moe..."

_"Naruto? Naruto? Can you hear me?"_ comes a familiar voice.

"Huh? Ino, is that you?" says Naruto aloud, causing Hanabi to look at him confused.

"Friend of Naruto's from Konoha. They have some sort of psychic link from what I understand that allows them to communicate over any distance telepathically" explains Moegi.

"Oh" said Hanabi, nodding.

"_Is that you, Ino?" _mentally ask Naruto.

"_Yeah, its me you big jerk. Why didn't you say goodby to us when you left seven months ago? And why haven't you kept in contact with us? You do know we've been worried about you and Moegi, right?" _asked Ino, sounding really annoyed.

Naruto sighs and think says _"You contacted me for that? Seven months of nothing from you and you contact me now just to yell at me?"_

To Naruto's surprise, he hears Ino laugh, then think says _"Got you, Naruto. We have been worried but we knew you two were OK. Besides, I'm sure I would know if something had happened if you had been killed or something to that affect. So, what have you and Moegi been up to since you both went MIA?"_

"_You sitting down? This is a long one" _says Naruto. After a moment, Ino gives him the go ahead and Naruto begins relating everything that had happened to him and Moegi over the last seven months.

"_Damn, you two have been busy beavers. But I'm glad to hear you both have gotten your issues under control and have been training to gain full control over the Biju's chakra sealed within you both" _says Ino.

"_What about on your end? How are things going back home?" _asked Naruto.

"_Well, lady Tsunade's Medical Ninja Corp has been growing well. As expected, there were several villagers who weren't able to become standard shinobi who have found their calling as Med nin's. Also, Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei have become engaged" _said Ino.

"_Really? That's awesome. So they were finally able to come out with their secret relationship. Was there any trouble with them having been dating in secret?" _asked Naruto.

"_Surprisingly, no. It turns out most everyone already either knew or at least suspected it. Goes to show they weren't very good at keeping it a secret. And get this, Kurenai-sensei just told me the other day that she's six weeks pregnant. Apart from me, Asuma-sensei, and you, no one else knows saves for Shizune-sensei" _says Ino.

"_Wow; make sure to tell Kurenai-sensei congratulations for me the next time you see here"_ says Naruto.

"_Will do. And speaking of Shizune-sensei; you won't believe this. Shizune-sensei is also pregnant and has just entered her six month"_ says Ino.

"_Shizune is pregnant? Didn't expect to hear that. So, who's the lucky guy?" _asked Naruto.

Naruto feels Ino giggle through their link, then hears her say _"You are not going to believe this, but its master Jiraiya who's the lucky guy."_

"_You're right, I don't believe it"_ says Naruto, the shock in his voice evident.

"_It's true. And Shizune-sensei seems to be really happy about it" _says Ino.

"_Hm, I guess her crush on pervy sage was for more than expected"_ says Naruto. _"Can't imagine Sakura or granny Tsunade were OK with this."_

"_They actually were, as surprising at it is to say. But I have it on good authority that both have warned him about his wandering eyes with fear of pain coming to him if he ever falters" _says Ino.

"_I doubt that would stop that pervert. Still, I should at least give pervy sage a little more credit seeing as he is my godfather and all" _says Naruto.

"_Say again?" _ask Ino, shocked.

"_I'll explain another time. What about everyone else?" _asked Naruto.

"_Well, Iruka-sensei has been working double duty to get the next class of shinobi to be battle ready just in case we need them sooner over later, though Konohamaru doesn't make it easy for him with his pranking. I think he's picking up the slack with you gone. Master Guy and Lee have been talking about staying with Konoha permanently, not as ninja but as a special Battle Monk force which has some support from many of the villagers though they still get the occasional weird eye with their odd habits. Kakashi-sensei has return to active Anbu duty and has said he will remain so until you return. Sasuke keeps himself busy with missions and Shikamaru has gotten a little more active, but not much. And Sakura...well, I think something has happened between her and Sasuke" _said Ino.

"_What do you mean?" _asked Naruto.

"_Nothing bad. I just see them together from time to time and I've noticed Sakura is recently been wearing a bracelet with a bead dangling from it; a bead that has the Uchiha crest carved upon it. I did some research and I think its a betrothal band. If I'm right, I think they may be engaged to marry once Sasuke has settled his business with avenging his clan's murder"_ says Ino.

Naruto thinks on this a moment, then says _"And I thought I had been busy. Thanks for contacting me, Ino. I'm glad to hear everything's cool. Tell everyone high for me and let them know I'll come home for a visit soon."_

"_Not a problem, Naruto. We'll see you...wait, I almost forgot"_ says Ino.

"_What is it?"_ asked Naruto.

"_There was another reason I contacted you. We just received a report from spies we have in Ame concerning that masked man who attacked the village years ago that resulted in you becoming a Jinchuriki."_

"WHAT?" shouts Naruto, both to Ino and unknowingly aloud so Moegi and Hanabi could hear him and look at him confused.

"_Naruto, what is it? I can feel you becoming angry. What's wrong?"_ asked Ino.

Naruto grits his teeth. _'That masked man, the one who killed mom. The man who's responsible for dad dying. He's been found...'_

"_Naruto?" _asked Ino again.

"_Ino, tell me everything" _says Naruto, rather forcibly.

Ino hesitates, feeling Naruto's rage and anger pulsing through him. Obviously, there was more going on here than she liked. _"I...maybe I shouldn't have said anything."_

"_Ino, please tell me"_ says Naruto, more command than request. When she still hesitates, he says _"Ino, that man killed my mom and dad and caused me to become a Jinchuriki. Please, tell me."_

"_I...alright, Naruto. We entered into an alliance with Suna and Iwa, checking out the rumors surrounding Ame and a new power in control there. Just the other day, they saw a man who looks similar to the man who attacked the village. He was wearing a different mask; an orange mask with spiraling lines carved into it over a yellow mask with black markings, but this mask still had only one eye socket for the right eye. We can't be sure, but we believe it is him. Lady Tsunade's planning..."_

"_Thanks Ino, thanks for telling me. Tell granny Tsunade I'll personally check this out myself"_ says Naruto before pounding his fist together, feeling a desire for revenge rushing through him.

Ino tries to talk with him again, but Naruto breaks the mental link as he knew what she would try to say and wasn't wanting to hear it. Naruto turns and begins walking towards the portal, moving progressively faster with each step.

"Big brother, wait for..." Moegi starts to say, but Naruto looks back without stopping.

"Stay here with Hanabi and wait for ancient granny to return. If she gets back before I do, tell her I went to Ame to meet with that masked bastard" shouts Naruto before breaking into a run, then triggers the portal to activate by swinging an arm outwards. The pool of water blast upwards as a geyser and Naruto leaps through it.

He emerges from the waterfall by the lake, raises his arms and shouts "INVOKE!" The release of Biju chakra causes the water around him to blast skywards as he enters Mazuko Mode.

"**I'm coming for you"** shouts Naruto before blasting into the air, rocketing off towards Ame as fast as he could move.

A few seconds later, Moegi comes flying out from the waterfall and looks around. She then puffs her cheeks in a huff, mumbling "You're not leaving me behind this time, big brother." She then channels her Biju chakra and enters her mask-less Mazuko Mode. She then reaches out and locks onto Naruto's chakra signature.

"**No fair, big brother. You know I can't fly yet"** shouts Moegi. She then channels chakra into her legs before leaping an incredible distance. While she couldn't fly, she could jump really insane distances.

**(Sasuke)**

Sasuke was taking his time as he returned to Konoha, having completed his latest mission. He had found this mission to be a little more trouble than he had anticipated due to the targets kekkei genkai that allowed him to combine Water and Lightning style chakra. For once, he was ready to take a break.

A sudden scream catches his attention and he alters his course to find the source of the scream. He quickly finds a hooded female laying on the ground, surrounded by Makian's. Moving quickly and swiftly, he rushes in and slays the beast before they were even aware of him.

_'These things...they look like those man made Hybrids that attacked Konoha a few months back' _thinks Sasuke, taking a closer look at the slain beast before turning his attention to the woman.

"You OK?" asked Sasuke, offering her a hand.

"Thank you kind sir. I thought those beast were gonna kill me" said the woman, taking his hand and being helped back to her feet while keeping her face concealed. "Please, allow me to repay your kindness, good sir."

"That won't be necessary" said Sasuke before turning and walking off. "You better get back home unless there's more of those things around" he adds, wanting to get back to Konoha and alert Tsunade of the Hybrids being about.

"But I insist" says the girl, her voice different. Before Sasuke can say anything, he feels her hands grab his shoulders and before he can react, she bites down on his neck hard. Sasuke howls from the searing pain he was feeling from the bite, making his legs buckle. He falls to his knees as the woman moves away.

"AAAHHH" yells Sasuke as a hand reaches up and grips the spot he was bitten He then looks back at the woman who reveals her white face with purple eye liner and lipstick. "Wha...did you...do...to me?" says Sasuke, his voice racked with pain.

"I gave you your reward, just like I said I would" said the woman.

"Who are you?" he growls.

The woman smiles, licking her lips. "No one special. Just a girl driven by her never ending Lust."

Sasuke scowls at her before getting back on his feet and charging at her, a Chidori flaring to life as he moves. Orochi-Lust just smirks before making a hand sign, which causes Sasuke's body to spasm before his eyes roll into the back of his head and he falls to the ground, unconscious.

Orochi-Lust then walks over and examines the spot she had bitten, finding a mark having appeared there. She then runs her fingers through his hair and says "Sleep the pain off. You'll awaken soon and then, things will start to get very interesting. My dear Sasuke."

**(Hinata and Tenten – five minutes later)**

"You know I appreciate Setsuna and her visions, I really do. But I do wish she could be a little more detailed with what we're suppose to do" complains Tenten, before punching and kicking the empty air from her seat upon a rock in frustration.

Hinata giggles, then says "Well, we know we're suppose to be here...well, around here at any rate. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best."

"Yeah, but how can we be sure if we're in the right area or not?" says Tenten before getting up, then down on her knees while looking up at the sky with raised arms. ""Oh Amarillo, here your humble servant and give her a sign."

At that moment, Tenten gets her wish as a red/orange streak of energy shoots by high overhead. Both Hinata and Tenten jump to their feet as they watch the streak race on along its path.

_'Naruto' _thinks Hinata. Her Byakugan hadn't been activated; she had just known in her heart that it was him.

"You think that was the sign?" asked Tenten.

Instead of answer, Hinata breaks into a fast run, following after Naruto as fast as she can. "Hinata?" shouts Tenten as she comes running up to join her. "What's going on?"

"Following my gut feeling" was her reply while her mind was thinking _'Following my heart.'_

**(Naruto)**

Rain came hammering down as Naruto floated high over Ame. He was impressed with the size of the city. While no as breathtaking as Quan Khan in Chin-Xi, Ame was still an impressive sight to behold. His eyes then began to scan the city, looking for his target.

_'This guy has been hiding for years and has been able to elude even ancient granny's search. So he won't be foolish enough to be out in the open. He'll either stick to the back alley's or hide inside large groups traveling down the main streets'_ thinks Naruto, considering his options.

Just then, something flies in front of them, catching his attention. Turning his head, he realizes it was a paper crane. **"Odd..."** says Naruto at seeing a paper crane not only flying around like this but doing so in the rain without being damaged by the falling water.

After a few passes around him, the paper crane flies away and Naruto watches it fly towards the largest tower in Ame, were he sees a figure standing on a terrace, looking towards him._ 'If you wanted my attention, then you have it' _thinks Naruto before moving towards the tower.

As he gets closer, he realizes that he knows this person waiting for him. It was miss Konan, the Ame representative for the Shadow Test. She steps back to allow him room to land on the terrace. "Welcome to Ame and greetings. It has been a long time, Naruto Uzumaki."

This catches Naruto by surprise, which is evident by his widen eyes. **"How do you know I'm Naruto? I have this mask on and you haven't seen me in it?"**

"Two answers to your one question" says Konan. "One, I'm a sensor type and I recall your chakra signature. And two, I could sense Biju chakra within you when we shook hands that day. More to the point, the chakra of the Kyubi. Given the design of your mask and the familiarity of your chakra, I put two and two together and made an educated guess. And I was right."

Makes sense was Naruto's thought, but he was still curious has to how she knows Kyubi's chakra signature. "Now I have a question. For what purpose have you come here for? I certainly hope it wasn't to scare the citizens of Ame when they look up and sees someone floating in the air."

"**I've heard there was a man hiding out in Ame; wearing a mask with a single eye socket. I have business with him"** said Naruto.

"Then perhaps I can help you. A few hours before, guards captured and detained a man meeting that description. Due to what was detected about him, he was brought here and placed within a special sealing room till we can determine who he is and what he wants. Do you mind telling me why you have an interest in him?" asked Konan.

"**This man was responsible for an attack on Konoha some years back. He also showed signs of being able to both summon and even control the Biju and may be responsible for a lot of the current issues facing Shumoa. And...he killed my parents"** said Naruto.

"I understand...follow me, Naruto" says Konan before turning and walking into the tower.

As they make their way through the darkened corridors, Konan says "To be honest, we have suspected that he was involved in various acts that could endanger Shumoa based on what we could tell about him and the items in his procession. But the Grand Daimyo was hesitant to order his death without true evidence despite we all believe him to be the threat. But if you did it for us, it would make things easier in the overall."

"**Don't worry. If he is the one, then I will know. And I'll save you the trouble of killing him as well" **said Naruto before noticing something he had failed to notice before.

"We would appreciate it" said Konan.

_'Those robes...' _thinks Naruto. Black with red cloud like patterns set upon it. This brought back memories of that dream he had experienced right after he had completed his trial. Did this mean Konan was connected to those two guys who had killed Ino and Shikamaru, then kidnapped him in the dream.

"**I like your robes. Very stylish"**says Naruto.

"I like to thinks so" said Konan nonchalantly. She then stops and opens a door, saying "In here" before entering the room herself.

Naruto follows her in and finds a long, cramp hallway with a thick heavy door present on the far side. "We're keeping him contained in the room beyond. If you'll follow me" says Konan before walking forward.

Naruto scowls before carefully following her in. The possibility that this could be a trap was foremost in his mind. But the fact he knew that and the fact he was confident in his power and control made him feel ready to handle any surprise Konan or her potential friends could dish out.

**(Sanctuary)**

"Ah geez, this is getting old" groans Fuu as she and Mada reenter the crystal forest. "Every time I think we'll finally meet Gobi's host, he gives us the slip. I'm begging to think he's playing with us."

"Or testing us" points out Mada.

"Lady Mada, miss Fuu" shouts Hanabi as she runs up to them.

"Hanabi, what is it?" asked Fuu.

"It's Naruto...and Moegi, they're gone" she says quickly.

"What do you mean, gone?" asked Fuu.

"Please explain, child" says Mada.

"Naruto received a message from a girl named Ino, but then got mad all of a sudden. He then said something about a masked man and going to Ame, then took off in a fit of anger and Moegi went running after him" says Hanabi.

"He did what?" shouts Fuu. "That idiot."

"Fuu, go...QUICKLY. I'll follow as fast as I can but you can get there faster" shouts Mada, wishing she had warned Naruto and Moegi to never go near Ame unless she was with them.

"I'm on it" says Fuu before turning and running back into the portal.

"I'm sorry. I should have stopped them" said Hanabi.

Mada places a hand on her shoulder and says "Don't be, dear. There was nothing you could have done to stop them." She then turns and heads for the portal herself. _'But by the time I'm done with you,you will be.'_

**(Hinata and Tenten)**

_'Naruto's gone into the tower' _thinks Hinata as she and Tenten near Ame.

"Hinata, are you sure about this? We're discouraged from entering the capital unless absolutely necessary" says Tenten.

"It is" says Hinata as they emerge into a large field.

But before they can make progress, they come to a stop as something comes landing a few feet ahead of them. It was a girl with a grayish colored cloak of chakra surrounding her body. "Hey, isn't that..." says Tenten as the girl, ignoring them, leaps again towards Ame.

_'Moegi? So she's a Jinchuriki too. Just like Naruto' _thinks Hinata before moving forward again with Tenten close behind.

**(Naruto)**

Naruto was about halfway through the hallway when he notices Konan suddenly make a motion with her hands. Before he can react, the entire hall suddenly explodes in a flurry of papers, revealing that the hallway was in fact a large room with the floor, ceiling, and walls were covered in seals. And the door on the far end of the room was itself just a trick.

"**What the hell is going on here, Konan?" **shouts Naruto as the seals light up.

"What do you think? You are finally ours, Kyubi's Jinchuriki" says Konan, making Naruto lunge at her. But his attack is stopped as he suddenly finds himself being slammed into the ground by an unbelievable force of gravity.

Barely unable to move save for his head, he looks at Konan and says **"You..."**

"The seals in this room were designed to turn a Biju's chakra against it, or the Jinchuriki who bear it. It is impossible to fight it, no matter how hard you try. Especially when you are using it" said Konan.

_'Damn it, I was to careless'_ thinks Naruto, desperately trying to think of a way out of this.

"**Brother" **comes Moegi's shouts and making Naruto's heart freeze.

"**No Moegi, stay back..." **shouts Naruto, but it falls on deaf ears as Moegi already rushes into the room, and immediately is sent slamming into the floor herself.

"**AAAAHHHH, it hurts" **cries Moegi.

Konan walks over and bends down beside Moegi, scanning her. "My thanks to you, Naruto Uzumaki. Not only did you bring yourself to us, but you brought us the Sanbi, who we have been searching for, as well."

Naruto growls before screaming out **"DAMN IT!"**

"Do not fear, for soon...your pain will end" says a figure who enters the room; a figure with orange hair that was in a pony tail and various piercings appearing across his face.

"Fortune has finally smiled on us...Pain" says Konan.

**Next time: impossible escape, together again, the traitor, and the challenge**

**only four chapters left in the Overdrive...**


	59. 59 Rain Down in Fire 2

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.59: Rain Down in Fire 2**

The first thing Sasuke felt as consciousness returned to him was the pain coming from his neck, which made him cry out for a second. As his eyes open, he realized he was laying on the ground, leaving him confused. The another jolt of pain brought him into full consciousness and into a full alert status.

_'What the hell happened?' _ he wonders as he gets back to his feet.

He remembered he was on his way back to Senhana when, he couldn't recall. He knew he had heard something; a scream of a woman and...then nothing. He activates his Sharingan, scanning for any foreign chakra lingering in the air but finds none save for his own.

"Did I just imagine it? Or was that a dream?" wonders Sasuke before another jolt of pain, less than the last but still stinging in its feel, comes from his neck.

Sasuke reaches up and feels the area the pain was coming from for any sign of cut or punctures from when he might have fallen. He couldn't feel anything, certainly nothing that could explain the pain. Maybe he had just been laying on a rock or his head in a bad position when he had been out.

_'That fight must have really taken its toll on me. I better have Sakura look me over when I get back' _ thinks Sasuke before heading off.

From her vantage point above and behind him, Orochi-Lust smiles from seeing the curse mark fully formed on his neck. She then makes a hand sign, causing it to slowly fade till it can no longer be seen.

"Wouldn't want anyone to see it and interfere before it awakens now, do we?" she says in her lusty voice before turning and heading back to underground Oto base. The main Orochimaru would want to know that phase one of the plan was a success and soon, Sasuke himself would start phase 2.

He just wouldn't know he was...

**(Ame)**

Naruto growled as he struggled to move but found that no matter how much force he tried to use, it was met with equal resistance. He could hear Moegi's whimpers, likely do to her not being as use to pain as he had been trained to handle back during his academy days, which only made him struggle more.

"Give it up, fighting it is useless" said Konan as she walks over to him. "These seals are designed to turn Biju chakra against itself. The more you try to use, the more ineffective it will be. Even if you exit Mazuko Mode, you'll still be contained here."

"Konan, place the restraint seals upon them. We'll move them down to the Gedo chamber and contact the others to begin the sealing ritual" orders Pain.

"Yes Pain" she replies before reaching into her robes and pulling two seal tags out. She then bends down and prepares to place one on Naruto's head.

"**Wait..."** says Naruto, bring her to a stop. **"Why are you doing this? Is it under Hanzo's orders?"**

"Wait, Konan. I'll be generous and answer his question first" said Pain suddenly, bring Konan to a full stop just before she could apply the seal.

"Are you sure, Pain?" asked Konan, thinking that more Jinchuriki could arrive and cause trouble. After all, if two could show up so unexpectedly, then the others could as well.

"He is a kinsmen of mine; likely the last. And if he knows the truth, then he may find some peace with his forthcoming sacrifice" said Pain.

_'Wait? Kinsmen...' _thinks Naruto.

"To begin, Naruto Uzumaki. No, this is not under Hanzo's orders. He cannot in all honesty order anything anymore now that he's dead" said Pain.

"**The Grand Daimyo...dead? Boy, I really need to keep up with current events" **says Naruto, unable to stop himself from the joke.

"Even if you did, this would still be news to you. We have been very careful to keep his death from the minds of the public. Here in Ame, many just assume he is sick and Pain is standing in for him, not that they have complained as they found life under Hanzo difficult at best. Beyond Ame, everyone else believes him to still be in full control as we keep them believing as such" explained Konan.

"If word got out that he was dead, the five Feudal Lords would be required to convene and select a new Daimyo to take up leadership here in Ame. This would likely lead to much infighting, bloodshed, and even death. And I am a pacifist at heart, wishing to avoid a war for the throne of Shumoa" adds Pain.

"**You call yourself a pacifist, but I'm betting you killed Hanzo yourself"** says Naruto.

"And his family, in order to make sure they didn't start any unnecessary conflict" says Pain.

"**Hypocrite..." **growls Naruto.

"As for your other question? I seek to capture the nine Jinchuriki of the Biju so that I may seal them with the Gedo Mazo statue; to then be able to use their combined power to save the world" says Pain.

"**Really?" **says Naruto in a sarastic tone. **"And how do you plan on achieving that?"**

"Once all nine Jinchuriki have been sealed within the Mazo, we will open a portal into the Makai Realm; to the very heart of that hellish realm itself. Then, through Mazo's power, we will fire a beam of chakra so powerful and destructive, it will create a chain reaction that will destroy that Realm and all that live within completely and forever. The threat of the demons will be forever a thing of the past" says Konan.

Naruto eyes widen as he says **"But that..."**. He then recalls a talk he had with Mada a few months back.

**(flashback)**

"_I see you're reading something different today, Naruto" says Mada as she walks up to him._

"_Yeah, well I figured I need to be training more than my body if I hope to succeed in my training here. Besides, Fuu's having her monthly visitor and that has made her a little moody. More so than I want to be training with right now" says Naruto._

"_A female Jinchuriki's period can be quite dangerous...to any male around her. But that could just as easily be true for a non-Jinchuriki female too" laughed Mada, recalling her own youth. She then looks at the cover of the book Naruto was reading and says "Secrets of the Makai Realm?"_

"_I was sent there before, during the Shadow Test along with all the other genin involved. As a Jinchuriki myself, I figured it would be safe to bone up on my knowledge of that place just in case I ever find myself there again someday" explained Naruto._

"_That's a good idea" says Mada, sitting by him. "So, any questions so far?"_

"_Well, there is one. This book speaks about the heart of the Makai Realm; the core of its very being that, if it was ever destroyed, it would also destroy the whole Realm itself" says Naruto._

"_Ah yes, the heart of Makai. Also known as Jubi's throne. According to legend, it was from this place the Jubi first came into existence, thus making it the corner stone of all Makai and the Yoma that live there" said Mada._

"_To bad we can't destroy it. If it is the lynch pin that holds all of Makai together, then taking it out would destroy that Realm, all that live there, and save our world a lot a suffering" says Naruto._

"_Once, that was considered by the ancients. But that would be a bad idea" says Naruto._

"_Why's that?" he asked._

"_Do to an oversight made in the days before the AoD, our world and the Makai Realm become connected. If we were to destroy the Makai Realm in one go, it would create a shock wave that would pass into our world, destroying us as well. In essence, if one dies then so shall the other so long as they remain connected" said Mada._

**(end flashback)**

"**If you do that, then you'll wipe out our world too. One can't live without the other so long as both are linked together" **shouts Naruto, hoping to stop this madness.

"That's what they say, but I have been assured that the claim is a falsehood, created by those who want to keep the Makai Realm around for their own benefit" says Pain. "Now Konan, lets continue..."

Pain's sudden stop has Konan looking at him. "What is it, Pain?"

"There's another presence in the rain. Another...Jinchuriki" says Pain, looking to his left.

**(outside)**

Fuu came to a stop high above the city, taking a moment to sense out Naruto and Moegi's chakra's. _'They're inside that large tower, but their chakra's are being disturbed. Not good...' _she thinks.

It was obvious to her that they had indeed been captured; likely a seal was responsible for this. And she knew that if she went in after them directly, there was a chance that she would be captured as well. There was only once option left...besides waiting for Mada which was to great a risk now.

_'I hope I can maintain control here' _she thinks as her skin begins to peel off her body, revealing pure chakra beneath. **"Daemon Mode" **she says before her whole body is enveloped by a sphere of chakra.

Down below, people scream and begin to run as they see a monstrous creature appear in the sky; a being of pure, raging chakra, with three chakra tails swishing around behind it. The three tailed Shichibi Daemon Mode roars as it turns it attention to the tower.

_'Gotta work fast' _thinks Fuu, already feeling herself being lost by the power. Small spheres of black and white chakra shoot from her body before merging into a large sphere or pure chakra, which then shrinks down and is consumed, making her face and neck bulge violently.

Inside the tower, Konan is back on her feet and says "Pain, what is this horrible..."

Pain, suddenly realizing what was coming, turns and grabs Konan, pushing them both back to the far wall as much as he could, shielding her so as to protect her from the forthcoming debris.

_'Naruto, Moegi, don't go dying on me here' _thinks Fuu as she opens her mouth, releasing a super intense beam of chakra aimed right at the tower. _"BIJU DHAMA!"_

All of Ame is rocked by the deafening explosion as chunks of the tower, both large and small, come crashing down upon the ground. Fuu takes the moment to return to her Mazuko Mode, though breathing heavily as that had really wiped her out. She uses the moment to recover as the smoke clears.

A good chunk of the tower had been blasted away. Though it hadn't collapsed, which was a miracle, it likely wasn't going to be repairable. Fuu could now see Naruto and Moegi, still glued to the ground but alive, her blast just barely avoided hitting them.

Naruto, while still unable to freely move, did find he could move just a little as much of the seal had been destroyed in the attack. Moegi was no longer whimpering from pain, but that could mean she was unconscious as she wasn't moving.

"Konan, are you OK?" asked Pain, his voice a little raspy.

"I'm fine, but you..." said Konan, clearly seeing some large shrapnel sticking from his back.

"I'll be fine...not like this is the worst thing I've felt in life" says Pain, cracking a surprising smile.

Konan places a hand to his chest and says in a whisper "Nagato..."

Pain pulls away and looks up at the new arrival above them. He could already sense she was the Shichibi Jinchuriki, but why was she just floating there instead of having made a move to save her fellow Jinchuriki? Was she worried about the seal getting her? No, that wasn't it. She could just use the demonic chakra to reach out and grab them from a distance without touching the seal.

No, the reason was that attack have left her momentarily unable to act any more. An advantage he would capitalize one.

Fuu finds she can finally move again and raises her arms, preparing to extend chakra claws to grab Naruto and Moegi, when she senses movement followed by a blur of motion. She spins around just as another entity appears directly behind her. But the sight of his eyes causes her to freeze, once again leaving her vulnerable. The ugly faced man takes the moment and hammers her hard with a powerful punch, sending her flying towards Pain within the tower.

_'It can't be...Rinnegan' _thinks Fuu as she tries to regain control, but find the hit having effected her more than expected. The next thing she knows, she finds herself being gripped by her throat by Pain who quickly slams her onto the seal, bringing its effects to affect her as well.

"Thank you for giving yourself to us, Shichibi" says Pain as she looks down at her.

_'Rinnegan? In him too? But that's impossible' _thinks Fuu as Konan comes up and prepares to place the restraint seal on her first.

_'No...'_ mentally roars Naruto. It was bad enough Moegi had been hurt because he had lost himself in the anger of the moment, but he would not let both Moegi and Fuu pay the price for his need for vengeance.

Throwing all his will power into action, Naruto is somehow able to lift his right arm up and off the seal, momentarily freeing said arm from the seals effects, and builds up a Rasengan as quickly as he can. The Pain overhead sees Naruto, making the Pain in the room turn. "Konan, stop him"

Konan immediately breaks from Fuu and runs at Naruto, he simply gives her a grin. **"Sorry, you should have dealt with me first. Blazing Rasengan..."** says Naruto, before slamming the fiery red sphere of chakra slamming down onto the seal.

The wild chakra energy goes rushing across all of the remaining seal, causing the whole thing to short out from overload. With the seal no longer glowing, Naruto is no longer being restrained and is immediately back on his feet as Konan tries to place the seal on him.

Naruto responds by ducking under her movement, then thrusting both hands into her stomach, sending her flying out of the damaged tower. Pain goes to move, but finds his his feet kicked out from under him by Fuu, knocking him to the ground and Fuu elbowing him hard enough in his back to snap his spine with a deafening crack.

Naruto picks up Moegi, finding her unconscious but fine nonetheless. **"Fuu, are you...?"**

"**We're leaving, NOW!"** she shouts before wrapping a chakra claw around Naruto and Moegi and blasting into the air and away from Ame.

Konan is caught by Demon Realm Pain who places her safely on a smaller tower as Fuu goes racing out with Naruto and Moegi. _'What happened to Animal Realm?'_ she wonders before seeing the other four Pain's gathering atop the tower and flinging God Realm after the escaping Jinchuriki.

"**Fuu, we got one following us" **shouts Naruto.

Fuu looks back, but sees their pursuer was already slowing down, thus he wasn't a full on flier.** "Don't worry. I can outrun this guy easy. I bet my reputation as the fastest Jinchuriki on this."**

Behind them, God Realm knew they would escape him if he didn't act. They were to far away for Banshou Tenin and using Chibaku Tensei was to risky as it would affect Ame as well. So that means one last option.

From her vantage point, Konan notices from the corner of her eyes Demon Realm suddenly bending down as if in prayer. Looking to the other three, she sees them do the same. _'Nagato, don't overdo it' _she thinks as she looks back at God Realm and the escaping Jinchuriki.

God Realm claps his hands together, then push's them out towards the targets; concentrating all the power into the Tensei that would be fired fully directly ahead of him only. "Shinra Tensei Za" he shouts before releasing a repulsion blast so strong, it could bee seen as air distortion, and fast that it was screeching.

Hearing the nose, Fuu can't help but look back just as the repulsion wave slams into them, sending her flight back spiraling out of control. Unable to correct her flight, all she and Naruto can do is brace themselves as they and Moegi go slamming into the south Ame forest area.

"Konan" says Demon Realm as he gets up. "Go and tell them to search the south forest. Find the Jinchuriki before they can recover and escape."

"Understood" said Konan before her body breaks down into thousands of pieces of paper.

Reforming below the streets of Ame in a darkened chamber, Konan's presence is immediately noticed by the two entities within. "Lord Pain has a mission for you."

"Does it have anything to do with the loud explosion and the ground shaking?" asked the taller of the two.

"Three Jinchuriki arrived unexpectedly in Ame; the Sanbi, Shichibi, and Kyubi host. They made an attempt to escape but were brought down in the south forest. Pain wants you to collect them before they can escape our grasp" said Konan.

"Understood" said the smaller as he gets to his feet.

"So, three Jinchuriki. I bet the others will be jealous they weren't here when they hear about this, right Itachi?" asked the taller figure.

The smaller figure opens his eyes, revealing Sharingan beneath them. "Their loss, Kisame" he says in a monotone voice.

**(Hinata and Tenten)**

Hinata and Tenten had been nearing the main gates of Ame when Fuu's attack had happened, bringing them both to a stop. Just as they started moving again, Hinata's Byakugan had caught sight of Naruto and Moegi with a girl she didn't recognize trying to fly away before being blasted to the south of them.

"OK, just what is going on here?" shouts Tenten. "And that sound wave...?"

Hinata ignores her as she turns and heads in the direction Naruto had fallen towards. "Hinata, wait. I think we might need to pull back and rethink this" says Tenten behind her.

"No time" shouts Hinata.

As she follows Hinata, Tenten can't help but think _'Seriously, what is going on here? Explosions, burst of lights, visible sound waves, and to top it off, Hinata's the one willing to jump head first into the lions den over me? Am I getting old or something?'_

_'Naruto, hold on. I'm coming' _thinks Hinata, feeling if she doesn't find Naruto soon, she may never see him again.

**(Naruto)**

Naruto's return to consciousness was met with some pain and stiffness. He groaned, sure he was feeling a few broken bones as he shifted his body from its twisted laying position. "Ow, that's gonna leave a mark" he joked, coughing a little as he tries to pick himself up which was a struggle.

He realized the impact he and the girls had suffered with the earth had left them in the crater of their own making. He looks around and sees Fuu and Moegi laying unconscious nearby. Holding his side, Naruto limps over to Moegi, leans down, and examines her.

From what he could tell, she was in better shape than him, apart from some dirt and a little cut on an elbow. He then recalled that he had shielded her on impact which he tossed her to her current location and was likely the source of the cut. Naruto sighs in relief at knowing she was fine.

He then looks at Fuu, seeing she was in worse shape like him, with her left leg obviously broken. He knew that time and the healing factor that existed within Biju chakra would fix them up, but it would take time which they did not have.

"Fuu, wake up" says Naruto, shaking her.

Fuu groans in pain as she returns to consciousness. "You OK?" asked Naruto as her eyes focused on him.

"No" she says, pain present in her voice. "Back's sore, broken rib, and my leg..."

"Same for me, save for the broken leg and sore back. I got a limp and I'm sure I pulled a muscle or two" says Naruto.

Fuu grits her teeth, then says "Naruto, you're gonna have to reset my leg for me so it can heal properly."

"You know its gonna hurt like hell" says Naruto as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out one of his Shift Anchor's.

Fuu gives him a half smile, saying "Not as much as child birth will; for which this will be a good practice for if I ever decide to become a mom."

Fuu then opens her mouth wide, allowing Naruto to fit the handle of the Shift Anchor in so she could bite down on it. Once she gives Naruto the nod, Naruto grips her leg and with one forced motion, puts the bone back into place. Though muffled, Fuu's scream of pain was still loud enough to send birds flying from shock.

Fuu's body jerks and spasms, her back arching for the duration of her scream before she slumps back down onto the ground, unconscious again. Naruto then gets to work on a brace for her leg. But the sudden sensation of approaching figures brings Naruto on alert, grabbing the Shift Anchor from Fuu.

The two figures come landing at the top of the crater, looking down at Naruto. "Hey, aren't you that Hinamori girl that helped me a few months back?" asked Naruto as the two figures make their way down to him and the girls.

"Not exactly" says Hinata, pulling the wrap from off her mouth and nose.

"Hinata...?" says Naruto, stunned to be seeing her again after several months.

"A geez, you just had to show him" says Tenten, revealing her face as well.

"And Tenten too? What's going on, why are you two here? And...are those close standard issue for priestess's?" asked Naruto.

Tenten ignores Naruto and says "Hinata, you help Naruto and Moegi while I deal with...miss green hair."

"OK" said Hinata who moves to Naruto's side, using the Ama healing techniques to examine Naruto to determine what need to be fixed while Tenten gets to work on Fuu.

"Naruto, can you take you top off?" asked Hinata, detecting Naruto's broken ribs.

"How long have you wanted to say that to him? Or maybe wanting him to say it to you?" joked Tenten, though Hinata ignored her. "Boy, your no fun when you're serious. Anyways, Naruto, don't look over here for a minute. I need to remove her top to apply some bandages."

As Naruto watched her work, he found himself in wonder of Hinata's skills. Was this really the same girl who, just under a year ago, had lived the life of a clan heiress, not knowing what life was like outside her noble walls?

"You've changed, Hinata" he said, a smile on his face.

Hinata blush's, then says "Because of you, Naruto. If you hadn't come into my life that day, decided to save me from that fate, I can't even imagine what my life would be like now or even where I would be. What I'm saying is...thank you, Naruto."

_'I'm the one who should be thanking you, Hinata'_ thinks Naruto, feeling that meeting her had changed him for the better. "Hinata, was that you who helped me back during attack on Senhana? Were you Hinamori?"

"Yes, Naruto, it was. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but..." says Hinata, who then looks at Tenten.

"Oi, might as well tell him now. Not like keeping it a secret is gonna matter after seeing us dressed like this" says Tenten.

"You don't have to if you if its important to keep it secret" says Naruto.

_'But I know yours, Naruto. You need to know mine as well'_ thinks Hinata before saying "It's OK; Tenten said as much. The truth is, Naruto, that the Order of Ama is more than just a group of girls that are trained in the healing arts. That is just a side job for us. The truth behind us is that we hunt and purge demons."

"You guys...hunt demons?" says Naruto.

"Yeah, you know. We're Slayers; we slay monsters" says Tenten. "Generally, we hunt down any Makian's that have entered our world and destroy them. Any portal found, we close. Any Jinchuriki sighted, we purge. You know, stuff like that."

"Jinchuriki purge?" says Naruto, knowing he didn't like that.

"Yeah, you know. Jinchuriki are humans who's body and souls have been taken by darkness. We purge that darkness from them in order to save them. But this usually results in the death of the human...actually, it always ends in the humans death" said Tenten, her tone brimming with sadness over that fact.

"I see..." says Naruto, looking away from them.

Hinata, sensing Naruto's pain, reaches up and cups his face and makes him look at her. "I don't believe all Jinchuriki are evil and need purging." She then leans in close and says in a whisper "I know at least two that don't."

"Hinata..." says Naruto, recalling he had shown "Hinamori" his Mazuko Mode. And seeing as Hinata had been Hinamori all along, that must mean that she also knew about his being a Jinchuriki too.

Hinata confirms this with a nod, letting him know that she knew about his secret.

Once Hinata and Tenten had finished their work, Naruto says "We better get out of here. I have a feeling we'll be getting company soon if we don't. The kind you don't want coming around."

"Expecting company?" asked Tenten, wondering if it had anything to do with the crater they were in?

"I'm a ninja, so always expect the unexpected" said Naruto.

"Alright" said Tenten as she goes to pick up the still unconscious Fuu. "Hinata, get Naruto and Moegi and we'll get out of here."

"Leaving already?" came a voice from above and behind, making them freeze.

They turn back, seeing Kisame smiling at them and Itachi's mute expression gazing at them. "Isn't that rude, Itachi? Not even nice enough to say goodby."

"These guys" says Tenten, looking at them. Her eyes focus mainly on Kisame and his monster like features. _'The big guy...is he a Jinchuriki? Was he the one we saw fly by overhead?'_

Hinata's Byakugan activates; something that doesn't escape Naruto's notice, and she is able to see the chakra of both men. "Be careful, these guys both have amazing levels of chakra."

"Say, little girls. If you willing give up those three, we'll let you go" says Kisame.

"I doubt that" says Hinata, having no intention of abandoning Naruto anyways.

"Say Naruto, what did you do to make these guys want you?" asked Tenten.

"Oh, we...just found out the group they belong with have taken control of Ame and killed the Grand Daimyo is all. Nothing big" says Naruto.

"Now look what you did, blondie. Now we'll have to kill them too" says Kisame, licking his lips.

"Let's get this over with" says Itachi, who looks at Hinata and unleashes a genjutsu to take her out, but Hinata's Byakugan dispels the genjutsu before it can land. _'Those eyes...' _thinks Itachi, surprised to see his attack failing and curious about Hinata's unique eyes.

"I'll take the buns girl" says Kisame, bringing Samehada to ready.

"Nice sword" says Tenten, putting Fuu down then charging at Kisame. "But its size must make it slow to swing." Kisame swings the blade, but Tenten easily dodges it, then leaps up and aims her dagger at an eye. But before she can stab him, she finds his massive blade intercepting her attack.

"You would think" says Kisame, pushing her off. "But size and weight don't mean much if the wielder is strong enough to compensate."

"Touche" says Tenten before charging at him again.

"Wait, Tenten..." shouts Hinata, seeing Kisame preparing to launch a ninjutsu.

"To late" says Kisame, making a hand sign, causing much of the falling rain to merge together into a large ball of water. "Water style; Geyser Bullet" says Kisame as the ball burst forward, faster than Tenten can react to.

Tenten is slammed by the attack, sending her flying back. Just as she manages to regain control, Kisame is upon her, grabbing and slamming her down on her stomach on the ground, making her yelp from the sudden pain As much as she struggles to escape, Kisame is able to keep her firmly planted to the earth. "What should I do with her, Itachi?"

"You decide" says Itachi before walking towards Naruto, Hinata, and Moegi.

"Naruto..." says Hinata, preparing to defend her friend.

_'No choice. I have to go into Mazuko Mode' _thinks Naruto, already reaching out to the power.

Nearby, Kita comes to a stop, having finally caught up with Hinata and Tenten. _'Oh no, this is bad.' _She could see Kisame holding Tenten down while the dark haired man approached Hinata. She knew she had to move fast. But just as she starts to move, a blast of wind brings her to a stop while Itachi and Kisame look towards the direction the wind had come from.

Fuu, laying on the ground, slowly opens her eyes and sees the newest arrival on the scene. "Grandma..."

Mada comes walking up, then stops a few yards away from Itachi and says "Despicable; two grown men attacking children. Didn't your mothers teach you any manners?"

Itachi turns his Sharingan to her, observing the pulse of her chakra coming from her body. _'What? Her chakra, unlike any I have ever seen before. Who is this woman?'_

"Hey, wrinkles. You may want to get out of here before I have to kill you too" says Kisame, bring his weapon close to Tenten's neck.

"I'd like to see you try, you blue skinned brat" replies Mada.

Kisame smiles as he suddenly pulls off of Tenten, making her roll away. "Cheeky old bat, are you? I like that." He then charges at her with his sword ready to strike her down. "To bad you'll have to die."

"Kisame, wait..." shouts Itachi, having a strong hunch as to what her unusual chakra meant.

Kisame ignores him as he swings his blade at Mada, who jumps up and over it. Kisame grins as he stops the swing directly beneath her, preparing to send it flying upwards. But he is the one who's surprised as Mada places a hand upon the blade, then hand stands over it.

"Another thing..." says Mada as she swings her bony leg around out Kisame's face. Kisame, believing her attack will do nothing, makes no effort to block or dodge it. "...never underestimate your elder" finish's Mada as her kick connects, causing Kisame's face to jerk hard to the side before he loses his grip on Samehada and sent flying.

Kisame slams and rolls along the ground. When he comes to a stop, both hands immediately go to his jaw, realizing her attack had actually broken it. He then looks at Mada wide eyed as she return to standing. _'What...was that? That kick was so powerful. And, I could have sworn...for a second...that she looked different...'_

_'So, it looks like my hunch may be right' _ says Itachi, looking at Kisame, then at Mada.

"You wanna try that, too?" asked Mada.

Itachi considers his options. Attacking her with taijutsu or kenjutsu was out of the question if what happened to Kisame was any indication. He was curious as to what else this woman could do. Closing his eyes, he decides to really test her. He opens his eyes, revealing his Mangekyou.

_'Mangekyou Sharingan, huh? I better be careful here' _thinks Mada, preparing for any possibility.

"Lets try a little ninjutsu" says Itachi, closing his right eye. Seconds later, blood begins pouring from the eye, making Mada's eyes go wide. _"Amatarasu' _thinks Itachi, opening his eye and releasing black flames.

"Ancient granny, watch out" shouts Naruto.

Moving quickly, Mada pulls out a scroll and opens it, her hands glowing with chakra as a seal formula appears on the scroll. Immediately, the Amatarasu flame begins being sucked into the scroll.

_'Instantaneous seal formation. Is she an Uzumaki?' _wonders Itachi, stopping his attack as further flame summoning would be meaningless here.

With the attack ended, Mada rolls up the scroll and returns it to her pouch. _'If he has a powerful ninjutsu class power in his right eye, then his left has to have...'_

The Mangekyou in Itachi's left eye begins to spin and Itachi says "Tsukuyomi."

_'A genjutsu' _thinks Mada as she drops her cane, then slams her hands together, creating a low sounding boom. She then begins a repeat of this ever few seconds, causing everyone to cover their ears.

_'Impossible, she managed to counter Tsukuyomi with sound waves? No, that isn't it. Though I can't hear it, I can feel it on my skin. A sound beneath the sound. This sub sound, it vibrates at the same frequency that genjutsu resonate at. Just who or what is this woman?' _wonders Itachi, backing away as Mada begins to walk towards him.

Itachi then jumps back; over to Kisame and grabs him. "Staying here will only prove counter productive now. We'll have to wait for another chance..." And with that, Itachi takes Kisame and escapes. Mada ends her clapping, then begins to take several deep breaths.

"What the hell did you just do?" asked Tenten, walking over to Mada.

"Quickly...grab Fuu and bring her over" says Mada between breaths. "Naruto, Hinata, bring Moegi over here."

Hinata, carrying Moegi on her back and helping Naruto to walk heads over to Mada as Tenten walks over and assist Fuu who was semi conscious. "Wha...what happened?" asked Fuu, still to out of it to realize she was talking to a stranger.

"You tell me? Ask Naruto after I get you over to the old granny" says Tenten, helping Fuu onto her feet.

"Grandma...is here" says Fuu, looking around as Tenten supports her.

Once everyone is by Mada, Naruto ask "So, what now ancient granny?"

"We need to leave here, quickly. Before more of those guys show up" says Mada before pressing her hands together. "Luckily, I have the perfect method for us to travel by." She then pulls her hands apart a little, revealing a glowing ball of light with smaller lights moving around within.

"Grandma, is that..." says Fuu as Mada crushes the ball back between her two hands, then pulls them apart swiftly, causing the ball to quickly expand, absorb them, and then disappears with them with it. Kita sees this and jumps at the expanding ball, just managing to be caught it the light, fading away too.

What follows is a weird sensation of floating through a sea of light before they find themselves once again back on solid ground. "Wow, that was different" says Tenten as Mada collapses onto her knees, breathing and sweating heavily.

"Grandma" says Fuu, breaking away from Tenten and leaning down beside Mada.

"OK...I'm OK, dear" said Mada, taking a moment to breath in some air. "I'm just finally starting to feel my age. To be honest, I was saving that little number for something more...critical. Oh well, I'll deal when the time comes."

"What was that, anyways?" asked Hinata.

"I've never heard of a jutsu like that one" adds Naruto.

"It wasn't a jutsu. What that was...is something older. From a time before jutsu existed" said Mada.

"Hey, anyone else notice the sun's setting?" asked Tenten, looking up at the sky.

"To be expected. Normally, you can use that technique to teleport yourself and others over large distances quickly. But do to my age and...chakra limits, I can't use it properly. To be more exact, the time it would take to travel the distance we move is factored into the teleportation. From our perspective, it was instantaneous. But in reality, we've been absent from the world for several hours" explained Mada.

"So, what now?" asked Naruto.

"We head back home" said Mada, getting to her feet. 

"Grandma, there's something I need to tell you" said Fuu.

"Yes, dear?" asked Mada.

"Back in Ame, I saw it. In the eyes of those attacking us. The Rinnegan" says Fuu.

**Next time: the challenge, Orochimaru's plan, Hinata's choice**

**only three chapters left...**


	60. 60 Xpoint

**AN: **Before we begin this chapter. I will take a moment to answer two questions asked of me. The first will be about Naruto's ability to fly and the other regarding the mask.

About Naruto's flying? First, let me ask my readers a question. Is Naruto having the ability to fly (while in Mazuko Mode mind you) really that bad a thing? It's not like we haven't seen flying ninja in the manga before. The Tsuchikage and his two addendants; Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi, have been shown to have the ability to fly despite not being Jinchuriki. The Tsuchikage has even been shown to be capable of lifting a turtle the size of an island (and is itself an island) with one hand while flying. Given Naruto's pure Wind elemental chakra nature (and the fact the Tsuchikage is half Wind), it's not hard to believe flying wouldn't be possible as it could be an advanced Wind style jutsu. Heck, with jutsu like Izanagi and Izanami out there, flying seems almost a natural thing to have. And it's not like Naruto's just flying all over the place either as he can only do it while in Mazuko (and Daemon) Mode. So again, is him being able to fly really that bad a thing to have in story?

Now, about the Biju Mask. First, I will admit that the Vizored Mask from Bleach was the original insperation for the Biju Mask, with a few modifactions made to fit in into this story. While it's true that wearing a mask would make Naruto be a little out of character in the manga seeing as he (at least back in act one) was a major attention freak; graffetteying the Hokage Monument, wearing the most noticible color in the spectrum, and always making a scene in one fashion or another. But the thing to keep in mind is that the Naruto in Invoke is more mature than cannon Naruto. He isn't quite as full of himself, nor has as much a need to be the center of attention. He understands that being unseen can be a good thing, given his kidnapping of Hanabi would have caused serious trouble for Konoha had he been unmasked, maybe even leading to war had the Hygua had contracted other villages to attack Konoha nin in a effort to get Hanabi back. Plus, I personally think the mask idea is cool. Having said that, know that Biju Mask will only appear on Naruto when he's in Mazuko Mode. His Sage Mode, Chakra Mode, and the secret Mode that will be revealed by the end of Invoke won't have mask. And there is one other purpose behind the mask for Naruto, but this purpose won't come to light until we get closer to the end, one of the results born from Naruto vs Kyubi's Yin chakra; besides Chakra Mode itself being awakened when **SPOILER Warning (skip past the proceeding bold if you don't want to know):** Naruto channels Kurama's chakra through his heart to give it a Uzumaki kekkei genkai boost** SPOILER end.**

But enough with the questions for now. We'll save any others for the post Invoke: Overdrive Q&A plus act 2 sneak preview chapter (chpt.63). Let's begins Chapter 60 of the Overdrive...

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt.60: Xpoint (cross point)**

**(the past)**

"They escaped?" said Pain, his voice neutral, but it was obvious he was angry at the news.

"This is both unexpected and disappointing coming from you, Itachi" said Konan, making a "tsk" sound with her throat. "We would expect Hidan, with his obsession with that cult he follows death ritual, or maybe even Deidara, and his obsession with explosive art, to fail here. But for you and Kisame to fail...where is Kisame anyways?"

"He's in the medical bay, getting his jaw wired from being broken during the battle" said Itachi before bowing before Pain, then saying "My deepest apologies for letting them escape, Leader."

"Itachi, while I can't say failing to capture three Jinchuriki isn't unexpected, the fact the failure came from the interference of an elderly woman is just insulting for both a member of the Akatuski and even an Uchiha" said Konan.

"Perhaps allowing you to join us was a mistake..." said Pain.

"Wait, Pain, Konan. I need to confirm something with Itachi" came a voice from the darkness, followed by a hooded figure appearing from out of no where.

"Lord Madara?" said Konan as she and Pain turned to look at their mysterious companion.

Itachi also looks at him while standing again. Though his eyes appeared neutral, there was an unseen danger present beyond them. The masked man looks at Itachi and ask "This elderly woman; what can you tell me about her?"

"She was skilled and very knowledgeable about things most aren't. With a single attack, she was able to break Kisame's jaw. When I challenged her, I used both Amatarasu and Tsukuyomi against her. She used an advanced sealing art created by the Uzumaki clan to counter Amatarasu and she knew the weak point in Tsukuyomi, a weak point all genjutsu have" said Itachi.

"I was unaware genjutsu had a definitive weak point" said Konan.

"There is one" said Madara, getting her and Pain to look at him. "All genjutsu, including Tsukuyomi, function at a specific frequency. If you unleash a sound wave that exist on an apposing frequency, then the two cancel each other out."

"Interesting..." says Pain. He was going to have to look into this discovery further.

Madara then looks at Itachi and ask "Was there anything else about her?"

Itachi is silence for a moment before saying "No; apart from from her considerable skill, she had nothing else worth noting."

"I see" said Madara. _'You still haven't learned how to lie to me, Itachi.'_

"What now?" asked Konan.

"More chances will make themselves available to us in the future to capture the Jinchuriki. Just take comfort in the fact we now know what Sanbi and Shichibi's host look like. Pain, make sure to relay this intel to the others. Also, if this woman appears again, my orders are to not engage her, but retreat."

"Understood, lord Madara. But is she really that big a threat?" asked Konan.

"If she reappears, she will be. But if my guess is correct, I doubt she will. No matter regardless. When the time comes, I'll deal with her myself." Madara then turns and walks back into the darkness. _'Given what I know about her, I'm the only one who possibly can...'_

**(present)**

Time came to a screeching halt for Mada as Fuu's words rang loudly in her mind. Though she could see Fuu and Naruto's obvious concern for her and Hinata and Tenten's confused looks, she did not register this in her mind. For Mada, it was like the world had suddenly become void and lifeless; a cold greater than any cold experienced by Mada throughout her life.

"Grandma? Grandma?" comes the distorted, alarmingly distant sound of Fuu's voice.

Suddenly, she feels a hand touch her shoulder, then hears Naruto's voice. "Granny Mada?"

This brings her back to reality where she looks at Fuu and says "Are you sure? You actually saw the Rinnegan?"

Fuu was taken aback by the seriousness of her tone. Never before had she heard Mada sound so dark and serious as she did now. It was rather...scary. Nevertheless, Fuu nods and says "During the battle in Ame, I was attacked by a guy who had the Rinnegan. I was nearly captured myself because of him."

"I see..." says Mada, given this matter some serious thought.

"Excuse me" says Tenten, getting their attention. "I don't mean to interrupt, seeing as this is a serious conversation between you three. But what exactly is a Rinnegan?"

"The Rinnegan...is the greatest of all eyes. The transcendent eyes that are said to hold the power of god within them. These were the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths, who used them to defeat the devil beast; Jubi, and save our world and all who lived by ending the Age of Darkness brought forth by Jubi" said Mada.

"Is it possible for someone else to have awakened the Rinnegan? A new sage for a new age?" asked Hinata.

Mada shakes her head, saying "That's impossible. The conditions that caused the Rinnegan to manifest within the Sage was...unique, one of a kind. It's impossible for a new set of Rinnegan to manifest."

_'That's why he left them behind...in case they were ever needed again' _was Mada's thoughts.

"Can you really be sure about that, grandma? After I hit the ground, another guy grabbed me and he also had the Rinnegan" said Fuu.

If hearing that Fuu had encountered a person with the Rinnegan hadn't been enough to make her blood run cold, hearing her say that there had been two Rinnegan bearers was enough to make Mada's heart freeze. "Two...two of...them...?"

Fuu nods, then says "I know what I saw. There was definitely two of them. Maybe even more from what I could sense close by."

Mada, without even realizing it, places a hand over her heart as she says "Impossible, that just can't be possible. It just...can't be..."

"Ancient granny..." says Naruto before a static like noise rushes through his head, making him yelp out as a hand quickly rises up to touch the spot that hurt.

"Naruto?" says Hinata, concerned and moving to his side. This also jars Moegi back to consciousness.

"_...aruto, Naruto, will you answer already?" _comes the voice of Ino.

"_Ino?" _mentally replies Naruto.

He can hear Ino sigh in relief from the other side before she yells _"Where the hell have you been, idiot? I've been trying to contact you for over an hour now. I was beginning to think you had gone and got yourself killed or something."_

"_If I had been, you would have sensed it" _said Naruto before seeing everyone looking at him, concerned. "It's Ino; she's been trying to contact me."

"_Naruto, just where were you? What happened?" _asked Ino.

"I'm gonna update her on the situation. Granny Tsunade needs to know about what's happening in Ame" said Naruto, getting a nod from Mada to continue.

"So, what are we gonna do now?" asked Fuu.

"We're gonna head home for now. After that, I'm gonna make a trip to a certain location to check something; alone" said Mada.

"Alone, are you sure?" asked Fuu.

Mada nods, then says "Where I need to is a place I can't bring anyone. It's...holy ground...in a sense."

"I understand" said Fuu, knowing that holy ground meant no place for Makian's or Jinchuriki.

"What's going on?" asked Moegi, getting everyone's attention.

"Moegi, are you OK?" asked Hinata.

"Who are you?" asked Moegi.

"You probably don't remember me since our last meeting was so short. I'm Hinata?"

"Hinata?" said Moegi, looking at her before her eyes light up. "Oh, I remember now. You're big brothers ….." Moegi is cut off as Fuu quickly places her hand over her mouth, muffling her voice.

Mada cocks an eye at Fuu and ask "What did you teach her this time?"

"That was a mistake, an oversight on my part when I was asked a question and respond on impulse before thinking. Naruto doesn't need to know" says Fuu as Tenten and Hinata give her a negative look.

"What do I not need to know, Fuu?" asked Naruto suddenly, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"I...I...I...I...um, what did Ino want with you?" asked Fuu.

"Changing the subject, huh? Fine, we'll continue this later" said Naruto before looking at Mada and says "Ino said the Sasuke wants me to meet with him, says its important."

"Sasuke, of the Uchiha clan? Where does he want to meet at?" asked Mada.

"At a place called Final Valley. He wants to meet as soon as possible" said Naruto.

Fuu shakes her head and wags her finger, saying "No way, Naruto. After that business with Ame, we are heading straight..."

"It's fine, tell Ino you can meet with him now" says Mada suddenly.

"Grandma?" says Fuu, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"There's still three hours before the sun has fully set and at our current location, it will only take an hour to reach Final Valley." Mada then looks at Naruto and says "Go, see what he wants, then head home. I'll meet you there."

"You aren't coming with us?" asked Naruto.

"I want to check that thing I mentioned before out as soon as possible. Also, Hanabi is likely worried so I want to let her know we're safe" says Mada.

"Hanabi?" says Hinata, surprised to hear her sisters name. "My sister?" asked Hinata, looking at Naruto.

Naruto looks at her and nods, then says "I'll explain on the way to Final Valley...speaking of which, I better tell Ino we'll meet Sasuke there now." And with that, Naruto reconnects with Ino to let her know.

After a minute, Naruto's eyes regain their focus as he says "He's on his way."

Mada nods, then looks at Fuu and says "Also, I give my permission to allow Hinata and Tenten to enter Sanctuary so Hinata can visit her sister following the meeting with Sasuke. But I want the portal's location to remain secret just for now."

"Understood, grandma" said Fuu.

Mada then turns and heads off to return to Sanctuary herself as it would be faster to reach her destination using Sanctuary's portals as a go between. "Well, lets hurry up. We're wasting daylight here" says Fuu, leading them towards the Final Valley.

As they move out, and Naruto begins telling Hinata about everything that had happened since they last saw each other seven months prior. A nearby bush ruffles and Kita sticks her head out. When she had jumped at Mada's sphere, she had been caught in the teleportation, but had found herself landing several miles away from where the others had landed. She had used the tracker to locate Hinata and Tenten via to markers sewn into their Slayer garments.

"Where are you heading now?" she asked quietly before silently following after them.

**(Kabuto)**

Kabuto sat at his work station deep within the underground city of Otogakure, going over his latest examination materials taken from Orochi-Pride, who was still comatose following the battle with Sarutobi. The more Kabuto did, the more he began to have questions about his subject. Something wasn't adding up here.

The door behind him opens and Orochimaru walks in. "Kabuto, have you made any discovery's yet?"

Without turning back to look at his boss, Kabuto reaches out, grabs a piece of paper, then hands it to Orochimaru. "Not much, but here's what I have learned thus far" he said as he looks into the microscope sitting on his desk.

Orochimaru takes the paper and reads it over. "Interesting..." he says to himself. If what was written on here was correct, then this could be useful for his plan...assuming it could be harnessed without the nasty side effects.

"I knew you would find something" says Orochimaru before turning and heading for the door.

"Lord Orochimaru" says Kabuto, getting the snake sannin's attention. "Earlier, I overheard you talking with Orochi-Lust. She mentioned Sasuke Uchiha."

"I thought I had sensed your presence back there" said Orochimaru. "What about it?"

"I know its not my place to ask, but I heard mention that she placed on Sasuke. The curse mark of Heaven; the opposing mark I gave to Kimimaro. May I ask why you gave it to him?" asked Kabuto.

Orochimaru chuckles, then says "The Sharingan; its a most interesting power. One that will serve me greatly should I obtain it."

"While I can agree, knowing what I have heard about it. But how does placing a curse mark on him lead to you getting a Sharingan?" asked Kabuto.

"Within each curse mark is a portion of my own mental energy. In Sasuke's case, my mental energy also has a subliminal message embedded within. It will ensure dear Sasuke will do what I want him to do regardless of his personal feelings" said Orochimaru.

"What kind of message?" asked Kabuto.

"First, he won't recall the mark was placed on him nor will he recall his encounter with Orochi-Lust. Soon, if he hasn't already, he will feel the urge to challenge those he feels would make worthy opponents to battle. He will keep doing this until he fights one who challenges him enough to cause the curse mark to awaken. Then, regardless of how that fight goes, he will then be compelled to come to me. I will offer to train him, to make him stronger. And as payment, he will give me his brothers eyes should he defeat Itachi. And if he falls, I will simply take Sasuke's as my own" said Orochimaru.

"And you're confident this plan will work?" asked Kabuto.

Orochimaru just smiles in response.

**(Final Valley)**

"So Naruto, just how exactly did you kidnap Hinata's sister without being recognized by the other Hyuga?" asked Tenten as the traveled up river, nearing their destination. "Even you must have considered the consequences of being seen by the Hyuga would have on Konoha."

"I did, luckily. I...wore a mask while doing it" said Naruto in response.

"You, wearing a mask? I find that hard to believe" laughed Tenten. "Though I admit I don't know you very well, I find it hard to believe you'd be seen in a mask."

"Why do you say that, Tenten?" asked Hinata.

"Well...its just that Naruto strikes me as the center of attention kind of guy. Someone who always needs to be seen and recognized by the masses" said Tenten.

"Ain't that the truth" joked Fuu.

"Very funny" says Naruto, giving her a dirty look. He then looks at Tenten and says "Once upon a time, that may have been true of me. But recent months have made me realize that amonimity can be a real valuable thing to have. Maybe wearing a mask isn't me, but it does has its uses."

He then looks at Hinata, winks, and says "Besides, I think the mask is cool personally. It makes me feel fierce."

"I think we're here" says Moegi, getting their attention as the arrive at a large lake.

As they come to a stop, they take a moment to look around. On the far side of the lake from them was a waterfall, with two massive statues to both sides, the heads of the statue rising over the top of the falls. "Wow, this is impressive" said Moegi.

"It really is" said Fuu, nodding.

"It's a monument to a great battle; the end to a long struggle between my great grandfather, Madara Uchiha, and the 1st Hokage of Konoha, Hashirama Senju of the forest" said Sasuke, getting everyone's attention on to him as he sits on a nearby rock.

"Sasuke...its been a while" says Naruto as he and the girls approach him. "Hope we didn't keep you long?"

Sasuke shakes his head before sliding off the rock and walking towards them, saying "Just got here about five minutes ago myself. And it has been a while, Naruto. You going MIA caught a lot of people by surprise."

Naruto scratches the back of his head, chuckles nervously, and says "Yeah, I...had some issues I needed to deal with."

"Ino and Shikamaru said as much. Though they didn't go into detail about it, they said you wouldn't have left if it wasn't a good reason. That was enough explanation for me" said Sasuke.

Naruto sighs in relief, glad they had kept it secret. Not that he didn't trust Sasuke and all. But this was one of those things you would rather say yourself. "Anyway, Ino told me you want to see me. What's up?"

"Yeah, I did. I wasn't sure if bothering you with this would be right or not, but I believe you are the only one who can help me" said Sasuke.

"I won't be a bother. If theirs anything I can help you with, just tell me and I'll do what I can" said Naruto.

"I see; I appreciate it, Naruto" said Sasuke as he reaches to his side, grabbing an object hanging at his waist. "What I need from you is..." says Sasuke before gripping the object, partially pulling it free before launching himself at Naruto. The girls jump in response as Sasuke brings a dagger to Naruto's throat, impressed that Naruto didn't flinch; not due to fear gripping him but his skill telling him he wasn't in danger.

"...a battle. I want to fight you, Naruto" said Sasuke.

"You mean like a sparring session?" asked Naruto, his voice calm.

"I suppose that would be the proper term to use here" said Sasuke.

"May I ask why you want to fight ME? There are other shinobi in Konoha who would be better opponents for you" asked Naruto.

"Perhaps, but there is one thing that makes you stand out to me over them" said Sasuke.

"And that would be?"

"You are Kakashi's student. Having trained with him myself to learn the Chidori, I'm curious as to how a proper student trained by him would fight. I guess what I'm saying is that you, Naruto, are the perfect rival for me to have" said Sasuke.

Naruto smirks, then says "Well, in that case. How can I say no? I accept your request, Sasuke."

Sasuke smirks as well before pulling his dagger back, then jumping back and away from Naruto, moving closer to the lakes center. Naruto follows him, positioning himself opposite Sasuke with thirty feet between them.

"This is gonna be a fun fight to watch" said Tenten, finding a nice, smooth rock to sit on.

Fuu goes to stand by her, leaning against another rock. "Make this quick, you two. We're running low on daylight", noting the sun was now partially passing the horizon.

"Good luck, Naruto" shouts Hinata, standing a few feet away from Fuu and Tenten.

"Kick his ass, big brother" shouts Moegi, standing next to Hinata.

"Nice cheer leading squad, Naruto" jokes Sasuke, glancing at the girls.

"If you say so" says Naruto, feeling a little embarrassed. "By the way, nice dagger there."

Sasuke holds his dagger up, saying "The hilt is designed to resemble my clans crest while the blade resembles the wing of a hawk. Normally, its used for ceremonial purposes only. But that doesn't mean it can't be used in battle. If anything else, this blade is even better in combat than a kunai."

"Cool" says Naruto, reaching into his pockets and pulling out his father's special weapons. "Then allow me to use something more personal too." With a finger inserted into the loop at the end of the handle, Naruto spins the tri-bladed weapon around.

"An interesting design. A longer handle than an average kunai and sporting three blades. And seal markings inscribed upon the handle too..." said Sasuke.

"My old man's Shift Anchor. They may not look like much at first, but I promise these babies have a few surprises hidden within them" said Naruto, stopping the spinning and holding them in a battle ready stance.

Sasuke also brings his dagger into a battle ready stance. He closes his eyes as he says "I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeves then." He then opens his eyes, revealing his Sharingan. "Lets begin, Naruto."

Naruto and Sasuke rush each other, bringing their respective weapons up, slashing against one another. Sparks could be seen from each impact as they both moved blindingly fast, moving in a circular motion around one another in the process. Between the two of them, Naruto was surprisingly the faster. But Sasuke's Sharingan was serving him well, allowing him to keep up with Naruto just enough to avoid injury.

In an effort to break the obvious stalemate between them, Sasuke leans back, away from Naruto's slash, then launches himself into a half spin in an attempt to catch Naruto off guard. Naruto's response is to go low then slashing upwards at Sasuke. But Sasuke twist his body, avoiding the attack while grabbing Naruto's hand. Then moving with fluid motion, Sasuke then gets behind Naruto, twisting his arm and holding it to his back.

"Not bad, Sasuke" says Naruto, wincing a little from the pain caused by his arm being held in an awkward position.

"You're doing good too. Very few can keep pace with my Sharingan" says Sasuke. "So, what will you do now?"

"Well..." says Naruto as he uses his free hand to reach into his pocket. "...there's this" he then says, before pulling out the second Shift Anchor and stabs it at Sasuke, forcing him to release Naruto and jump away, allowing Naruto to spin around and face him again.

"Two Shift Anchor's? Sneaky" says Sasuke.

Naruto chuckles before entering another round of slash attacks against Sasuke, who finds blocking and counter the two weapons harder than just one. Obviously, Naruto was more experienced at using them as a pair than not.

"Wow, Naruto's doing better than expected against the Uchiha guy" notes Tenten, familiar with the famous clan's history.

"I hate to brag, but I am a pretty good teacher" says Fuu.

"You mean he became good in an effort to punishing you for teaching me bad things" laughs Moegi.

It was becoming clear to Sasuke that simply fighting Naruto with kenjutsu style wasn't going to get anywhere. No matter as he was better with ninjutsu anyways. Leaping over one of Naruto's attacks, he manages to land a kick that sends Naruto flying onto the shore. Then, as he recovers, Sasuke makes a hand sign, then takes in a deep breath. _'Fire style; Dragon Flame jutsu' _thinks Sasuke before releasing a massive flame in the shape of a dragon's head at Naruto.

_'Damn...'_ thinks Naruto, knowing being hit by that would inflict serious injury. Reacting quickly, Naruto pulls out a scroll that he had prepped for emergency's.

Unraveling the scroll, Naruto holds it up at the Dragon Flame and channels his chakra into it, causing the seal inscribed upon the scroll to glow. The moment the flame got close enough, it is sucked into the scroll, being sealed within. Naruto then leans down, resting the scroll upon the ground for a moment before rolling it back up.

"Very clever thinking, Naruto" says Fuu quietly to herself.

Tenten looks at her, confused, and mentally wonders _'You mean sealing the attack up?'_

"A sealing jutsu, huh? Funny, no one back in Konoha told me you were trained in the sealing arts" says Sasuke, impressed with Naruto's sheer skilled he had shown thus far.

"That's because I didn't know jack about sealing before leaving. After I left, I learned a lot about my parents, about their style and skills. Among their specialties was they were both sealing masters. So, I decided to follow them and become one myself. And as it turns out, I have a knack for it too" says Naruto.

Sasuke prepares to attack, but stops as Naruto raises his hand. "Sasuke, I have a request if I may."

"Was is it?" asked Sasuke, curious.

"Deactivate your Sharingan" says Naruto.

"And why would I do that?" asked Sasuke.

"You told me before the sending ceremony back home about your situation; your quest to avenge your clan and find your brother. You told me your training was to gain the power needed to fight and defeat him. That's why I want you to fight me without the power of your Sharingan" said Naruto.

"I'm still not following" said Sasuke.

"Its like this" said Naruto. "If you can become as strong as your brother and can beat him without the Sharingan, then imagine how strong you'd be with the Sharingan active then. What better way to challenge yourself than to learn to NOT rely on the power within your eyes."

"Ah, I see where you're coming from" says Sasuke before closing his eyes. When he opens them again, his Sharingan had been deactivated. "I accept your challenge, Naruto."

"Alright, and in return. I won't use anymore sealing jutsu to stop your ninjutsu then" says Naruto. "After all, fairs fair."

"Have it your way, Naruto" says Sasuke before making another hand sign. "Fire style; Phoenix Flower jutsu" says Sasuke before releasing a volley of mini fire balls at Naruto, who quickly dodges them and begins to run counter clockwise around Sasuke, who keeps the attack going.

Naruto then changes his angle, rushing towards Sasuke, who keeps his barrage of fire balls coming. Despite that though, Naruto is just able to avoid and dodge the attack, forcing Sasuke to discontinue the attack and return to using his dagger as Naruto quickly comes upon him and begins a deadly series of slash attacks.

Once again, the two fighters cross blades, more furiously than they had before. Their movements had become so fast that they appeared as meer blurs to the onlookers. Surely, there was no way to know just how this would end. Sasuke sends a horizontal slash at Naruto's chest, but Naruto both blocks and push Sasuke back and then, to Sasuke's surprise, tosses both Shift Anchor's into the air.

Unable to stop himself, Sasuke's eyes follow their motion; only then realizing his mistake. His eyes dart back to Naruto who slams an open palm into Sasuke's chest in the moment he had been distracted. This action blast Sasuke back, sending him flying onto the shoreline, just past the spot Naruto had been standing upon only moments before.

"What a hit" shouts Moegi.

"Naruto..." says Hinata, impressed at just how strong he was.

Naruto blinks in surprise as he looks at the hand he had used to push Sasuke back. His plan had been to push him back, force him to retreat back onto the shoreline. But he had sent him flying that way instead. He hadn't used Kyubi's power, and yet..._'How the hell did I just do that?'_

Sasuke, meanwhile, had recovered from the unexpected blow, and looks at Naruto with both amazement and even a hint of annoyance growing within him. _'That move? Did Naruto use a Wind style jutsu? Well, he has learned about the sealing arts since he left, so learning to use elemental chakra wouldn't be to big a stretch either...'_

"Not bad, Naruto. So you are a Wind style practitioner as well as a sealer. That just makes this all the more fun" shouts Sasuke before charging at Naruto.

_'Wind style? Was that what I just used?' _wonders Naruto. He would have to talk with Fuu and Mada about this later. Naruto then sees Sasuke's approach and smiles while saying "Be careful where you step Sasuke..."

_'Huh?' _ thinks Sasuke, his eyes darting to the ground as he continues to head at Naruto. It is then he sees it; a seal placed upon the ground, a seal he was now stepping on. Naruto makes a hand sign, causing the seal to light up and then it all becomes clear to Sasuke.

When Naruto had laid the scroll on the ground, he had "stamped" it before rolling the scroll up. He had created another seal on the ground by touching the glowing seal on the scroll against the ground and had transferred the contents of the seal into the ground seal. And Sasuke himself was about to trigger its release.

_'Damn'_ thinks Sasuke, unable to stop in time to keep from stepping on the seal. This action causes the sealed Dragon Flame to be released and impact against Sasuke...at point blank range. The explosion was strong to say the least.

"That's what you meant before" said Tenten, looking at Fuu; realizing what she had earlier.

"Naruto has become very clever. I doubt Sasuke will be killed by that as Naruto isn't aiming for a kill. But I can't see how Sasuke won't be seriously fudged up by this" says Fuu.

Naruto watches the flames closely, expecting Sasuke to come out at him. Would he be injured or would he have avoided injury somehow? What ever the case, he had to be ready. "Naruto, you truly are a force to be reckoned with" comes the voice of Sasuke from the flames.

And from the smoke comes Sasuke, clad in his Phoenix Armor jutsu. But unlike when he had used it during the attack on Senhana, this armor was fully covering Sasuke and was complete; having taken up an animal like image to symbolize the mastery of the jutsu.

"Should have seen that coming" says Naruto as he knew about this jutsu Sasuke had. "Mind telling me what the look is suppose to be?"

"A Tengu; a form befitting one of the Uchiha clan" says Sasuke. "Naruto, you truly are one of a kind. No one had ever pushed me quite like you have today. That just makes the victory all the more sweeter for me. And now I know your real reason for deactivating my Sharingan; to keep me from seeing your trap. Quite clever indeed."

"My reason was the truth when I said it to you. But what you say is also a truth as well. Now then, Sasuke. Lets end this" says Naruto as he charges at Sasuke, who goes rushing at Naruto.

Once again, blades collide against one another, but Naruto is now the one on the defensive. Not because the Phoenix Armor made Sasuke stronger as it mainly was for defensive purposes. Rather, it was because Naruto knew touching the armor would result in him being burned, possibly even being set on fire which wasn't a very appealing prospect for this battle.

"Scared now, Naruto?" ask Sasuke, pushing Naruto back. "I don't blame you. A burn from the armor will never fully heal from what its creator told me."

Naruto grunts as his feels a heat against his left arm. Moving quickly, he swipes his left arm against the water to put out the flame that had formed from Sasuke's touch. He knew he had only one choice left in order to fight back.

Dodging a punch from Sasuke, aimed at his chest, Naruto flips back a few times, then pushes himself forward towards Sasuke, who's already moving towards him. _'A desperate head on attack against me, huh? Lets see what you'll do, Naruto.'_

Sasuke sends the flame of his armor out to cover his dagger to make it stronger as Naruto comes at him, holding his Shift Anchor's over his chest in a X pattern. Then, to Sasuke's surprise, a beam of yellow chakra erupts from weapons making Naruto's weapon into twin short swords.

Naruto delivered an X-slash against Sasuke's armor, pushing him back. To an even bigger surprise to Sasuke, the area that had been slashed looses the flame covering. This makes him pause as he considers this while Naruto stands ready with his fully realized Shift Anchor's, ready to counter any attack.

"Surprise after surprise from you" says Sasuke before, to Naruto and the girls shock, deactivates his flame armor. Sasuke then looks to the sky and sees the sun nearly set. "Getting late" he says before looking at Naruto "I have a thought."

"I'm listening" says Naruto.

"How about one final attack between the two of us. Winner takes all" offers Sasuke.

"I'm game" says Naruto, returning his Shift Anchor's to his side.

Sasuke then grips his left wrist, streams of lightning forming. While Kakashi wouldn't like him using it under these circumstances, this was the best way to show Naruto how serious he is now. "Chidori."

Naruto wasn't surprised Sasuke was using that jutsu. But this would give him a chance to answer a question he has. Holding his right hand out, a ball of chakra begins to form. "Rasengan."

With both attacks ready, Naruto and Sasuke charge at one another; ready to end this fight...

**next time: shrine, curse awakens, Hinata's wish; Jinchuriki and Slayer alliance**

**only two chapters of Overdrive left...**


	61. 61 Vergence Point

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt. 61: Vergence Point**

Mada's return to Sanctuary had been swift, as had her time there had been. She had only allowed herself a few moments to tell Hanabi what the current situation was, seeing as she was waiting by the gate for their return, before setting the portal to the point closest to her destination, then passing through it again.

Where she arrived was a lake located deep within a dark forest. Many would have found this place creepy if not out right scary. But Mada knew better than to believe in the ghost stories the people of Eire said about this place; Eire being the name of the land/island she had arrived at. Well, there was the Jabborwaki, but she doubted it would attack her.

Moving with all haste, she went deep into the forest till she came to a stop before an old tree that that appeared half dead. It was also slightly larger than most trees in the forest. Assured that she was at the right place, Mada stepped forward and found a small knot upon the tree trunk, grabbing and turning it a bit, then pushing it in, causing a creaking sound to arise from the ground as a hole opened up. Mada quickly stepped down into the hole into the passage way beneath the tree.

The passage was dirt and rock on all sides, with the roots of the trees partially protruding from around her. After a few moments, she comes to a stop before what appeared to be a stone wall. Taking a deep breath, she reaches out and places her hand against the wall; a circle of light appearing around her hand.

"? ? ?" came a voice from within the wall. After several seconds, the green light shifts to a blue color and more lines begin to trace themselves out along the wall. "? ?, ? ?."

"Welcome back, indeed" says Mada as the wall opens up and she proceeds inside.

She now finds herself walking down a long hall; the floor, walls, and ceiling all made of a unique material and crystals lining the walls giving off a dim light. Soon, she emerges from the hall and enters into a large, circular room. At the rooms center were two large metal cylinders held in a horizontal angle. And around them, in a circle, were more cylinders, also angled in a horizontal style.

Mada steps forward and stops after just passing two of the outer cylinders. "Long time, no see, old friends" she says a hint of sadness and longing in her voice. She then allows herself a moment to walk in a circle around the outer cylinders; coffins really, and tracing her hand along the name plate that said the name of the cylinders owner.

Sadly, not all the cylinders had their owners within them as some had left nothing behind when they had died. One said Yosho, another Van, and another Amidamaru, and so on. Once Mada had finished walking the circle, she turned her attention to the two cylinders at the center of the room.

Standing between the two of them, she places her hands on both and reads the names of the two owners aloud. "Musashi Namikaze; Sage of the Six Paths. Amarillo Namikaze; Sage of Spirit..."

For a moment, she allows herself a moment to look at Musashi's coffin, then she moves to its side. "Please, forgive me for this, Mu. But I need to know for certain."

Mada the places her hand upon the side of the cylinder, causing a glowing image to appear, which she touches. After moving her fingers over the image, a beeping sound is heard followed by hissing as the cylinder opens up, releasing a blast of cold air.

Before the cold mist around the body could clear away, Mada already knew in her heart what she was going to see. And when her eyes could see Musashi's lifeless face, tears began to fall as she cups her mouth with her hand; a pained whimper escaping her.

The Rinnegan had been ripped from their sockets.

Mada looks away, saying "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Mu. I should have listened to you. I should have destroyed your eyes after you died like you asked me to. But I couldn't...I just..."

Now she had no doubt. But this still had the question: who could have known about this place? Who could have entered it? For Mada, there was only one possible answer. Clenching her fist, she says in a low voice "I should have known he'd have found a way to survive..."

Looking back at Mu's corpse, Mada leans in and kiss's his cheek. "I failed you..." she says before looking at the other cylinders and adds "...all of you. But that ends now. Please, give me just a little more time, to set things right. Then I will finally join you all again...on the other side."

With that, Mada reseals Musashi's cylinder, then heads towards the hall, stopping long enough to look at Amarillo's coffin. She then walks swiftly for the exit, knowing she had to begin Hanabi's training to succeed her as Sanctuary's guardian and get Naruto, Fuu, and the other Jinchuriki's training completed.

And, she had to settle old accounts...with HIM!

**(Final Valley)**

As Naruto and Sasuke approached each other, the effects of their attacks upon the water are impossible to ignore. Sasuke's Chidori sends excess streams of lightning pulsing across the water while Naruto's Rasengan, from its sheer power, causes the water that Naruto passes create to blast away in waves.

The two warriors finally collide, bringing their attacks slamming against one another. "Chidori" shouts Sasuke. "Rasengan" shouts Naruto. The impact of their attacks causes all the water around and beneath them to go blasting outwards, making it look almost like they are floating on air for a few tense seconds.

From the sidelines, the girls can feel the power of the two attacks pulsing out, filling the whole valley. Even Kita, who had positioned herself at the top of the statue of Madara, could feel the power as if she was right there at ground zero.

And then, the two attacks cancel each other out before a burst of energy separate Naruto and Sasuke, Naruto is just pushed back a few feet, but Sasuke is sent flying back several yards, barely able to stay on his feet before coming to a stop.

"What just happened?" asked Moegi.

"Both their attacks were even in power, more or less" says Tenten.

"Not exactly" says Fuu, getting the others attention. "Though it appears they're equal, Naruto was the stronger one. The proof can be seen in the end result when both attacks faded. Naruto was only pushed back a little. Sasuke, on the other hand, was blasted back. Though impressive, Sasuke's attack was the weaker."

Sasuke wipes his brow of the water he had been hit with when he had been blasted back, then looks at Naruto. "Naruto, just what..." Sasuke starts to say, but stops suddenly as he feels a pulse of energy come from his neck, followed by intense pain which makes him automatically reach up to and place his hand over the spot.

Seeing the look of pain on Sasuke's face, Naruto ask "Sasuke, what's wrong?"

"Its my neck...something...ARGH" cries out Sasuke as he collapses to the ground.

Naruto quickly rushes to him, leans down, and places both hands on Sasuke's shoulders. "Hold on, Sasuke. Let me see."

On impulse and instinct, Hinata activates her Byakugan, allowing her to see Sasuke's chakra pathways. This also allows her to see something else; the chakra within the seal placed upon Sasuke as it starts to spread out over the rest of him.

"Naruto, there's a mark laced with chakra on his neck" shouts Hinata.

Hearing her, Naruto grabs the hand Sasuke is using to cover the backside of his neck, seeing the glowing curse mark. "What the...?" Naruto says before glowing markings begin to spread out from the curse mark, covering Sasuke's body. "Naruto, get away from me..." says Sasuke, his voice low and gravelly.

"Hold on, Sasuke. I'll deal with this seal" says Naruto as he makes several hand signs.

Sasuke's head jerks to look Naruto in the eyes and Naruto sees Sasuke's Sharingan had reactivate. But the Sharingan in his left eye had gone from red to yellow in color and the pupil becoming more slit like; just like the eyes of a snake. "No..." says Sasuke, his voice sounding like a mixture of his and Orochimaru's.

_'Sasuke? Wait, I know that voice. It's that guy who killed the old man, Orochi...'_ thinks Naruto before his body jerks violently, followed by a feeling of blood rushing to his mouth as his vision blurs. Looking down, Naruto sees Sasuke's hand plunged into his stomach.

"Naruto" shouts Hinata, breaking into a run with Moegi right behind her as Sasuke stands and looks at Naruto with an Orochimaru style smirk on his face.

"Sasu...ke" says Naruto, weakly. Sasuke's response is to pull his arm free from Naruto, causing blood to shoot from the wound. Then, before Naruto can collapse to the ground, Sasuke round house kicks Naruto, sending him flying into the waterfall between the two statues.

"Naruto, hold on" shouts Hinata as she and Moegi turn to head towards the waterfall, but Sasuke quickly appears before them, a Chidori aimed at Hinata's head.

His attack is stopped as Fuu zips in, grabbing his hand, and forcing it it away. Tenten is right beside her, throwing her full weight into body slamming Sasuke, trying to push him back. But Sasuke roars as he sends a knee hitting Tenten's stomach, then kicking her away from him into Hinata and Moegi, knocking them back.

He then turns his attention to Fuu, adjusting his hand to grab her wrist, then forcing her forward so he can head butt her, making Fuu, fall to the ground and stumble back. Sasuke then uses his Lion's Barrage taijutsu at attack Fuu, sending her sinking fast into the water.

As she sinks down, Fuu fights to remain conscious from Sasuke's surprising power, and she is able to see him make several hand signs while looking to where Hinata, Tenten, and Moegi were at. He was going to unleash a Dragon Flame against them. _'Sorry Naruto, I'm gonna have to Invoke'_ thinks Fuu as she calls on her Biju power.

"Tenten, you OK?" asked Hinata as Tenten returns to her feet.

"Yeah, though he kicks hard. Just what happened to him?" asked Tenten.

"Guys, heads up" says Moegi as Sasuke prepares to fire. Was she gonna need to enter Mazuko Mode?

_'Damn, I need to do something' _thinks Kita, preparing to jump down and aid her fellow sisters, even if it meant revealing to Hinata and Tenten that she had been sent by Sakuya to follow them in secret.

"Fire style; Dragon Flame jutsu" says Sasuke, releasing a potent flame at them. It comes in fast, faster than what the three girls can react to. But behind Sasuke, the waterfall blast outwards, causing him to turn before hearing his flame jutsu collide and explode against something.

Looking back, Sasuke sees Naruto when the smoke clears. Naruto had entered his masked Mazuko Mode and had used his hands, covered in Kyubi's chakra cloak, to negate the attack. Sasuke growls as he charges up another Chidori, but his attack stops as Fuu shoots up, also in a masked Mazuko Mode, and grabs his feet.

"Wha...what the...Naruto?" says Tenten, noticing the hole in him had completely healed up.

Naruto looks back at the girls and Tenten takes a step back on impulse, but Hinata stays her ground as she looks back at him. Above them, Kita is stunned at what she sees. She was under the belief Moegi could be a Jinchuriki. But from what she was seeing, it was Naruto and Fuu who were the ones.

"**Let me deal with this, first. Then we'll talk" **says Naruto.

"Do what you have to do, Naruto" says Hinata.

"**Hey Naruto, less talking more sealing here, huh?" **shouts Fuu as Sasuke's struggle to free himself makes it more difficult to keep hold of him.

Within the blink of an eye, Naruto is standing before Sasuke. With a quick motion, Naruto punches Sasuke in the stomach as hard as he can. The hit causes Sasuke to double over, temporarily stunned by the attack. Fuu takes the moment to reposition herself behind Sasuke, pinning his hands to his back and forcing him onto his knees to better keep him under control as Naruto examines the seal.

"**Can you remove it?"** asked Fuu, having figured the seal was the cause of Sasuke's little episode.

Naruto examines the seal carefully, then says **"This seal is of a style unknown to me. While I'm certain I can remove it. The physical effects its having on Sasuke have me worried. Removing the seal without fully understanding it could have serious negative results for him."**

"**So where does that leave us then?" **asked Fuu.

"**I have no choice. I'll place a suppression seal over the existing one. Hopefully, it will be enough to keep it under control until Pervy Sage can have a look at it himself" **says Naruto before making several hand signs, then places his hand on the seal and making another seal appear over the curse seal.

Sasuke cries out in pain as the seals markings fade away. Once its down, Sasuke begins to breath heavily as sweat falls from his brow. His eyes then look to Naruto as he says "Thanks, Naruto. I...I couldn't stop myself..."

"**Don't worry about it, Sasuke. It was the seal, not you" **says Naruto.

Once Sasuke is back on his feet, he ask "So, is that seal gone?"

"**Sadly, it's a little outside my league at present. Once you get back to Senhana, talk with Pervy...Master Jiraiya, and ask him to remove it. I'm sure he'll be able to do it"**says Naruto.

"**So you better beat feet back home quick now" **says Fuu.

Sasuke looks at her and nods. He then looks back at Naruto and says "Naruto, once this issue has been dealt with, I'd like to fight you again one day. I have to admit, you can push me farther than anyone else ever has."

"**Just talk with Ino if you need to talk to me" **says Naruto.

Once Sasuke had left, Naruto turns back and looks at Hinata who is walking towards him and Fuu. From above, Kita had moved in closer to better hear what was being said. **"I guess I must look pretty scary with this mask on, surrounded in a cloak of Biju chakra" **says Naruto to Hinata as she stops before him.

Hinata looks at hm for a second, then smiles at him as she reaches up and places her hand against his mask, feeling it. She had thought the chakra cloak would burn her, not that that was going to stay her hand, but she found it to be rather warm and comforting to her touch. "I'm not scared; would never be scared of you, Naruto."

"Hinata, get back this instant. You too, Moegi" says Tenten suddenly. They all look at her and see her with a Slayer weapon in hand, ready to attack Naruto and Fuu.

"Tenten, what are you doing?" shouts Hinata, surprised by her Sister's reaction.

"They're Jinchuriki, we're Slayers. You know what that means, Hinata" says Tenten. "Stay behind me, Moegi. I'll protect you."

"Why?" asked Moegi, getting Tenten to look at her. Tenten's eyes go wide as she sees a chakra cloak around Moegi. "I'm a Jinchuriki too, just like big brother and sister Fuu."

Tenten jumps away as Moegi goes to stand by Naruto. _'Damn, three Jinchuriki. I don't think me and Hinata can fight them without help.' _"Hinata, quick. Get away from them before they attack."

To Tenten's surprise, Hinata shakes her head before moving to stand between Tenten and the Jinchuriki, her arms raised out. "Sorry, Tenten. I can't do that."

Tenten breaks her battle stance as she looks at Hinata, dumb founded. "Hinata, you can't be serious. You know the law of our order. We are Slayer's. We hunt and destroy Makian's and purge Jinchuriki to save their souls."

"I don't care, Tenten. I won't purge Naruto, Moegi, or Fuu. They're different from what we're told about how Jinchuriki are. They aren't evil incarnate. Surely you can see that?" asked Hinata.

"I..." Tenten knows that its true, but still. "Even so Hinata, rules are rules. We have to follow them, no exceptions."

Hinata shakes her head and says "I can't, Tenten. I just can't do that."

"Hinata, do you realize what this means? Are you really willing to go against the WHOLE Order for them?" asked Tenten.

"Even if I have to fight the ENTIRE world, I'll still choose them no matter what. That's my choice in life" says Hinata, brimming with confidence. Fuu smirks at her words before nudging Naruto in the ribs as Moegi giggles.

Tenten just blinks at Hinata, her words racing through her head. She then grabs her head with both hands, going crazy on her hair as she screams in annoyance. "AAAHHH, Hinata...you are the most exasperating Sister a girl can have." Tenten then huffs for a moment before giving her a wry smile. "But I guess you responding any other way just wouldn't be you."

"Admit it, Tenten. You wouldn't be able to bring yourself to purge Naruto either. After all, he's your friend too" says Hinata.

Tenten looks at her, then Naruto as she recalls Naruto's promise to help her if ever she decides to return to Chin-Xi and reclaim her father's throne. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that."

Not far away, Kita scowls at Tenten's words. To hear Naruto, Moegi, and Fuu were all Jinchuriki had surprised her. To hear Hinata's words had shocked her. But Tenten's, who was a favorite of Sakuya's and, unbenowst to her, a canidate to join Shade one days, words had angered and disguested her. _'Tenten...lady Sakuya isn't going to be happy to hear this.'_

Kita then sneaks off, heading back to the Temple to alert Sakuya about what happened and what she had discovered.

"Anyway guys, we better get moving if we want to reach Sanctuary before it gets late" says Fuu.

"Actually, we need to be heading back to the Temple" says Hinata, surprising Tenten.

"But what about Hanabi? Don't you wanna see her?" asked Naruto.

"I do...but...there's something I need to talk with lady Chiyo about" says Hinata.

"About us?" asked Moegi.

"Don't worry, I won't sell you guys out. But there is something I need to ask her" says Hinata.

Naruto nods, trusting Hinata. "OK. When you're ready to see Hanabi, head to Senhana and find Ino. She can contact me for you. You do remember where Senhana is, don't you?" asked Naruto.

Hinata nods, then says "Tell my sister I will see her soon."

"I will" says Naruto.

With that, Hinata hugs Naruto and her returns the hug. The two groups then go their separate ways. As soon as they are gone, a plant like growth comes from out of the ground. "An interesting turn of events, don't you think so?" asked Zetsu White.

"Perhaps. We should report this to Tobi as soon as possible" says Zetsu Black before sinking back into the earth.

**(the next morning; Temple of Ama)**

Chiyo was sitting at her desk, catching up on her reading. She was also thinking about Hinata and Tenten's mission report regarding their time in Jezai. She had found it curious and was considering asking Hinata about her curiosity when she comes later for Byakugan training.

A knock at her door made her sigh. More than likely, it was Sakuya who was behind it. Sakuya's demeanor had not gone unnoticed by her. Had she gone behind her authority again and sent one of her Shade's to spy on Hinata because Setsuna had seen Naruto and Moegi in a vision that had more or less come true? If that was the case, then it was time she set her foot down and reminded her just who was the leader here.

"Come in" says Chiyo, turning her attention to the door as it opens.

To her surprise, it was Hinata who was behind the door. "Sorry for bothering you, lady Chiyo."

"Hinata, this is a surprise. I wasn't expecting you till later this morning. Is there something I want to talk to you about" says Hinata, entering the room and walking over to Chiyo.

"Of course, child. Tell me what's on your mind."

Sitting down by Chiyo, Hinata says "Well, it has to do with the mission. Something neither me or Tenten felt comfortable talking about with Sakuya present..." Hinata stops, wondering how she could say this without revealing Naruto and Moegi's status as Jinchuriki.

"Does it have to do with Naruto and Moegi...and Fuu?" says Chiyo, catching Hinata by surprise.

Chiyo smiles at Hinata's reaction. It would appear she had guessed right. She then reaches out and places her hand on Hinata's and says "It's alright child, I'm already aware of Naruto and Moegi being Jinchuriki. The same with Fuu as well."

"But...how?" asked Hinata, then eeping at her admittance to the truth.

"Well, I may be old but I still know a thing or two about the feel of chakra. When Naruto came her months ago and asked us to watch Moegi for him, I was able to sense the Biju chakra sealed within the two of them. Also, Mada visited me soon after to deliver the scroll that had a message for you from Amarillo. She confirmed them being Jinchuriki as well as her adopted grand daughter also being one as well" says Chiyo.

"But why did she tell you? And why haven't you ordered us to go after them? I thought purging Jinchuriki was one of our orders mandates" asked Hinata.

"Mada and I are...well, we aren't exactly old friends, but we do have a working relationship of a sort. Furthermore, Mada has interacted with my predecessors over time as needed. And as for why I haven't ordered their purge. Well, Mada is overseeing them and I trust her to keep them from falling into the dark. And I know you wouldn't let us hurt Naruto no matter what. And besides, I've never been one to believe all Jinchuriki are evil incarnate. They just suffer extreme bad luck in that area" says Chiyo.

Hinata breathes a sigh of relief, then says "I'm actually glad you know and that you don't feel them a threat because it will make my real reason for coming her early much easier to talk about. Now its just how will the others will react to this plan of mine."

"Tell me your plan and I will handle the rest" says Chiyo.

Ten minutes later, Hinata leaves Chiyo's room and begins spreading the word around the temple that Chiyo was calling an emergency meeting of all Sister's. By ten, all the girls had gathered in the underground training facility, all looking up at Chiyo. Tenten was confused by what this meeting was about and became even more so when she saw Hinata appear, standing right by Chiyo.

"Attention everyone, I'm sure you are all very curious as to why I've called this meeting" says Chiyo before motioning to Hinata to step forward. To Chiyo's far side, Sakuya looked at Hinata and was curious as to what this was about.

Sakuya had been planning on visiting Chiyo herself to inform her that three Jinchuriki had been found and required immediate attention. She was also needing to have a little talk with Tenten and remind her just where her loyalties truly lied.

"Me and Hinata have been talking about something very important and I feel you all need to know in order for Hinata's plan can be realized" says Chiyo.

_'Plan? What plan is this?' _wonders Sakuya before a horrible thought crosses her mind. Given Hinata's infatuation with Naruto, there was only one likely thing Hinata was planning. _'No, oh no way in hell. I'm stopping this foolishness right now.'_

Hinata steps forward and clears her throat, preparing to speak loud enough for everyone to hear her. But before she can begin, Sakuya steps forward and says "Before you speak, there is something I need to make everyone aware of."

"Sakuya, know your..." says Chiyo, suspecting what it was she was going to say.

Sakuya ignores her, instead continues her speech. "When Hinata and Tenten were sent on this mission, I was worried for their safety and thus, sent back up to follow and assist them if need be. Because of this, it was revealed that Naruto Uzumaki, his adopted sister Moegi, and a girl named Fuu who is with them are all Jinchuriki."

Naturally, this caught the entire order off guard; Chiyo glared at her while both Hinata and Tenten were shocked to hear that she had sent someone to follow them and knew about Naruto and the girls. "Furthermore, it has also come to my attention that Hinata here has known about Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki for several months now, yet has chosen to to inform any of us despite knowing the rules."

"Wait a minute" says Hinata, trying to intervene.

Sakuya cuts her off, asking "Do you deny any of this?"

Hinata stops, looks away in hesitation, then says "No, what you say is true. But Naruto..."

"You hear that, girls. She was fully aware of our policies regarding Jinchuriki, yet chose to ignore it. And why? Because of some miss placed affection for some demon child" says Sakuya, who then looks at Hinata and says ""You disappoint me, Hinata."

_'Sakuya, damn you...' _thinks Tenten, stepping forward from the crowd in order to defend Hinata.

Sakuya notices this and looks at Tenten and says "And you, Tenten. You were MY Sister, MY student. I'm the one who trained you when you came to us and this is how you repay the order, how you repay ME? Give me one reason why I shouldn't expel you both from this order right now?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, SAKUYA. I'VE HEARD ENOUGH" shouts Chiyo with more power and force than anyone had ever heard her use before, more than anyone ever thought possible from her. It was so strong and forceful that all the girls, even Sakuya herself, stepped back from shock and fear.

Chiyo then gives her an icy look, saying "Know your place, little girl. Or have you forgotten that I am the leader here, not YOU."

"What? So are you saying you are willing to overlook their actions, lady Chiyo? Surely you know the rules..."

"Don't go quoting rules or regulations with me. I am very much aware of what the rules state. And if withholding knowledge of Jinchuriki truly is a crime, then I am guilty of the same act as I have known about them being Jinchuriki for several months as well" says Chiyo.

"You what?" says Sakuya, astonished to hear Chiyo had known, yet hadn't done nothing to deal with them or even tell her about it.

"Hinata, dear. Go ahead and tell everyone what it is you wanted to tell them" says Chiyo, who then looks at Sakuya and gives her a warning look; telling her not to speak till Hinata had finished.

Though her confidence had taken a hit based on Sakuya's actions, Hinata knew she to say it. If not for Naruto then for herself at least. "Everyone, please me believe me that Naruto, Moegi, and Fuu aren't controlled by darkness, by the power of the Biju's chakra."

"Biju, you mean those three are..." says Sakuya, but is stopped by Chiyo from continuing.

"Naruto is kind and has always been to me. He even protected me and Tenten from being burned by a fire ball jutsu. Naruto isn't our enemy. That is why I...I want us to form an alliance with him, with the Jinchuriki in order to combat the coming of the second age of darkness."

"You can't be serious? You must be mad, girl. An alliance with those beast...unthinkable" says Sakuya.

Chiyo steps forward and says "Hinata has already spoken with me on this matter and I have decided to go along with her plan. I approve of her plan to form an alliance with the Jinchuriki of elder Mada."

"You what?" shouts Sakuya. Surely this wasn't happening; this was some sort of nightmare. Surely Chiyo hadn't gone senile on her. Then the rest of her words take root in her mind. "Wait, did you say elder Mada? THE elder Mada, the legendary Sage of the mythical Sanctuary?"

"So you know of her too" says Chiyo before looking out over the girls. "Listen to me, my children. Mada is said to be a survivor of the first Age of Darkness, an ally of the Sage of Six Paths. Why I know not how she still lives to this day, I do know I can trust her judgment as have my predecessors. Furthermore, she herself came to me months ago and confirmed the Jinchuriki status of those three, telling me she was training them to stop the second AoD from happening."

After taking a breath, Chiyo says "In the message left to us my our founder, the lady Amarillo. She says that a day would come when a special girl would be brought to us; a girl who possessed the power of Byakugan. She would play a role in saving this world and such a girl has come to us; Hinata here. Also, it was said that she would be drawn to an individual; the one who would succeed the Sage and save the world again. In my opinion, I believe Naruto is the one. Do you agree, Hinata?"

"I admit I don't understand much about this prophecy, I do believe in Naruto. So yes, I do agree."

"Elder Mada seems to believe so as well. So I ask you all, will you trust Hinata's judgment? Will you support her?" asked Chiyo.

A mumur arose amongst the girls. But this is broken when Tenten steps forward and says "I will."

Setsuna steps forward, saying "As for I. In my visions that he has appeared in, I have never sensed any darkness within him."

"I will as well" says Ai.

Then, one by one, all the other girls start to step forward and affirm their trust in her, much to Sakuya's shock. Even Kita and the other Shade members do so, though only because Sakuya had ordered them to side with the majority in situations like these to keep their status as Shades secret. Soon, it was all down to Sakuya alone.

"Well?" asked Chiyo.

Sakuya looks away in disgust. Says "You are all fools", then turns and leaves the room.

"Sakuya..." says Hinata, wishing she could make her understand why she trust Naruto.

Chiyo places a hand on her shoulder and says "I'll have a talk with her later" said Chiyo who had a good idea as to why Sakuya was so against this and if that was indeed the case, then there was something she needed to be reminded of. "For now, you have work to do. Do you have a way to contact Naruto?"

Hinata nods and Chiyo's says "Then go contact him and inform him and lady Chiyo that I wish to meet with them tomorrow to make an official alliance between our two groups."

Hinata smiles, a blush coming on her cheeks as she nods, saying "Right way, lady Chiyo."

**(Sanctuary – four hours later)**

"Hanabi, can I talk with you a second" says Mada, walking up to the young girl. Hanabi had decided to remain outside the Casteopa this time while Naruto, Moegi, and Fuu trained so she could fully focus on the book she was reading. She had caught something interesting and was rereading it carefully, trying to figure out this puzzle her mind had been clued in on.

"What is it, lady Mada?" asked Hanabi.

"Before, when Naruto and Moegi ran off half cocked to Ame, you told me you wished you could have been able to stop them. What if there was a way you could in the future or at least be able to accompany them to keep them out of trouble" asked Mada.

"Is there?" asked Hanabi.

"There is indeed" says Mada, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hanabi, I have decided to make you my apprentice. I will teach you all I know so that you can one day succeed me as Sage of the Sanctuary."

Hanabi blinks in surprise, then says "Lady Mada, I'm honored. But I'm not worthy for such a task. I'm weak and not that smart and..."

"Oh poppy cock" says Mada, waving her comment off. "Everyone is weak at first. That is why we train to become strong. And not that smart? Child, you are smarter than those three who are training now. Your love of books and your ability to recall everything you read in them is proof of that. And as for not being worthy? Well, I say you are otherwise I wouldn't have made the offer to begin with."

"But what about Fuu? She's your granddaughter, right? Shouldn't you be training her as your successor instead of me?" asked Hanabi.

"Fuu is only my adopted granddaughter. I took her in after she had been abandoned by her family. But the reason behind her not being my student is because she is a Jinchuriki. Due to the demonic chakra sealed within her body, she won't be able to learn all that I need to pass on, thus she can't be my heir. But you on the other hand have potential that she doesn't; potential needed to become a Sage."

"I see" says Hanabi, giving it some thought. "OK, I'll do it. Please, teach me everything you can, master."

"I had a feeling you would say yes" said Mada.

"So when does my training begin?" asked Hanabi.

"Technically, it has already began. All the books I have given you to read contain information needed for the one who will succeed me. As for the more physical stuff?" Mada then pulls out a very old book and hands it to her. "Once you have read this, we will being the physical training."

Hanabi opens the book, then looks at Mada and says "What language is this? Its unfamiliar to me."

"Huh?" says Mada, taking the book back and looking at it. "Yeesh, I must be getting forgetful in my old age. This is a very old language from times past, no longer spoken today. I guess your training begins with me teaching you to understand it."

"Hey, ancient granny" comes Naruto's voice, getting Mada and Hanabi to turn and see him appear from the incline that led below ground. "Hinata has contacted me and wants to talk with us; me and you."

"I wonder what about" says Mada as she gets up and walks over to Naruto with Hanabi following.

Once they are there, Naruto says "Take my hand. Ino says she can connect with you when you touch me and include you in the talk." Mada nods and does so, finding herself going from being within Sanctuary to being in the mental world with Naruto, Hinata, and Ino.

The area on this mental world differed for each who was seeing it. Naruto and Mada saw Sanctuary while Hinata and Ino saw Senhana due to being where they were. Also, they each had a transparent, glowing look about them. "You wanted to see us, Hinata?" asked Mada.

"Yes, lady Chiyo wishes to meet with you for the purpose in forming an alliance between our two groups in order to combat the return of the age of darkness. I was sent to set the meeting up."

"So I guess the secrets out, huh?" said Naruto.

"Naruto, I had already informed Chiyo months ago about you, Moegi, and Fuu" notes Mada.

"Why'd you do that?" asked Naruto.

"Um guys, we are on a very tight time limit here" says Ino, reminding them of her limitations here.

"Right" says Mada. "Hinata, has Chiyo chosen a site?"

Hinata shakes her head and says "No. She told me to let you make the choice. Her only wish is for it to be held tomorrow."

"In that case, tell her to come to Fleesia Valley. There is an area in the northern path that is filled with beautiful wild flowers this time of year. It will make the perfect spot for this alliance to be born at" says Mada, who then moves to stand by Ino. "Let's say 10am for the meeting time."

"Hey guys, is it OK if..." says Ino till Mada reaches out, touches her, and makes her go into a trance.

"Hey, what did you just do?" shouts Naruto.

"Just froze her brain for a second, don't worry. Naruto, Hinata, why don't the two of you meet a little earlier than planned. You know, give you both a chance to talk and catch up with each other? Say, meet there at 8am. This will give you two hours of personal time together" says Mada.

Hinata blushes, saying "I would like that."

"Yeah, me too" agrees Naruto.

Mada smiles, then says "Well then, back to the matter at hand." She then takes her hand off Ino, who blinks before looking around. "Hey, what happened?"

"You zoned out is what you did" said Naruto.

"You were saying, child?" asked Mada.

"Huh? Oh, right. I was gonna ask if it was OK to tell lady Tsunade about this meeting. I'm sure she and all of Konoha would want to join in with this alliance too" says Ino.

Mada smiles and says "The more the merrier. I don't see the harm. Go ahead and tell her and make sure she knows the time and place; north Fleesia Valley, 10am in the area where the wild flowers grow."

"I think I know that place so I'll be sure to tell her" says Ino.

"Ino, before you break the link, can you keep it going for just a few moments more?" asked Naruto.

"I can try, but it takes a lot of chakra to do this with just more than me and you" says Ino.

Naruto nods, then looks at Mada and says "Get Hanabi for me."

_'My sister?' _thinks Hinata as Mada fades from the mental world. A few seconds later, Hanabi appears in her place. "Hinata, big sister?"

"Hanabi, it is you" says Hinata as she goes to move towards her.

But Hanabi breaks into a run, slamming into Hinata and hugging her tightly. "Sister, I've missed you so much" says Hanabi, tears falling from her eyes.

Hinata hugs her back, places a kiss to the top of her head, and says "I've missed you too, Hanabi."

Naruto and Ino look at each other and smile. A few seconds later, all their astral projections start to waver. "Sorry you two, I've already hit my limit here."

Hinata and Hanabi break away and look at each other. "We'll see each other in the flesh tomorrow and then, we'll have all the time in the world to catch up" says Hinata.

"I can't wait, sister" says Hanabi. "Um, by the way. Are you and Naruto dating? If not, can I have him? He's super cool and dreamy too."

"Don't even think about it" says Hinata before both girls laugh.

"Oh that's just great" says Ino. _'I have sisters rivaled against me; damn.'_

"OK Ino, break the link" says Naruto and Ino does so.

Once they are back in Sanctuary, Naruto looks at Mada who says "We have work to do."

**(Temple of Ama)**

Sakuya's room was in a pretty trashy state, not surprising seeing as she had gone into a mad rage upon returning there following the meeting. She just couldn't understand what would possess Chiyo to do this. She could forgive Hinata due to her youth and naivete and even Tenten for wanting to support Hinata. But Chiyo? Had she really gone senile in her old age? Forgotten how evil Jinchuriki are?

She had no choice now. If the Order was going to side with them, then she could no longer stay here and support them. It was time she went down her own path and formed her own Order. With that thought in place, she puts the last of her things into her bags, now ready to leave this place behind.

"Going somewhere, old friend" comes a familiar voice from behind her.

Looking back, Sakuya narrows her eyes and says "And what business do you have here, Konan?

**(Otogakure)**

Sakon on Jirobo were on guard duty outside when the saw a figure approaching them from the darkness of the woods. Coming into view from their hiding spots. Sakon shouts "Halt, who dares inter private property?"

"I was unaware anyone owned this forest" came the person, stepping out for them to see him.

"Sasuke Uchiha?" says Jirobo, surprised.

"I'm here to see Orochimaru" says Sasuke.

**Next time; Overdrives final chapter: betrayals, alliances, seal the deal with a kiss...**


	62. 62 Overdrive Hearts

**Naruto Invoke: Overdrive**

**chpt. 61: Overdrive Hearts**

Orochimaru smiled as he saw Sasuke approach him. He had to admit that his arrival was far sooner than he had anticipated. But that meant that he would get what he wanted much sooner as well.

"As the leader of this hidden village; Otogakure, I humbly welcome you to my kingdom, dear Sasuke."

Sasuke scowls at him, saying "Cut the act. It's obvious you were expecting me. Otherwise, your people wouldn't have been so willing to invite me in."

Orochimaru chuckles, then says "How very perceptive of you. Yes, I have been expecting you. You see, I made certain arrangements to insure you would come to me."

"What do you mean?" says Sasuke.

Orochimaru responds by making a hand sign, causing the curse mark to glow, allowing Sasuke to finally remember his encounter with the Lust. Reaching back and feeling the spot the mark was located on, Sasuke says "Your minion attacked me."

"Not exactly, dear Sasuke. My Lust simple gave you a sample of the power I can give you, a sample of what you can awaken through me" says Orochimaru.

"Really?" says Sasuke before disappearing from sight. Before anyone could even blink, he appears by Orochimaru with his dagger pressed to the snakes neck. Naturally, Sakon and Jirobo quickly move to save their master, but Orochimaru raises his hand, motioning them to stop.

"What makes you think I have an interest in anything you can offer? How do you know I didn't already know about the mark after it awakened and my being here is so I can kill you and save Konoha from any further suffering you might try to inflict upon it?" asked Sasuke.

"Clever boy, you truly are skilled and aware" says Orochimaru. "To answer your question. I know of your quest to kill Itachi. Under my tutelage, you will become strong enough to finally avenge your clan and bring your personal suffering to an end. As an added bonus, I can even tell you where to find him."

"I already know where to find my brother, so you'll have to offer something better" says Sasuke.

This surprised Orochimaru and he ask "And how did you learn of his location if I may ask?"

**(previous night)**

"Are you sure you're OK, Sasuke?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah, master Jiraiya and lady Tsunade both said a little rest will be enough will get back to full strength" says Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke" shouts Ino who comes running up to Sasuke and Sakura.

"What is it?" ask Sasuke.

"It's Naruto, he wants to speak with you" says Ino who then hold her hand out to him.

"I wonder what Naruto wants?" says Sakura.

"I'll find out" says Sasuke, placing his hand on Ino's.

Once inside her mind, Sasuke sees Naruto and ask _"You needed to speak with me?"_

"_Yeah, there's something I forgot to tell you when we met earlier at Final Valley" _says Naruto.

"_What is it?" _asked Sasuke.

"_It's your brother, Itachi. I think we've located his current abode" _says Naruto.

Sasuke goes wide eyed, then says in a serious tone _"Please explain."_

Naruto does so and once he had finished, Sasuke says _"So he's a member of this Akatsuki group and they're based beneath Ame, so he's likely there at least when he's not on assignment for them. Thanks for telling me this, Naruto. When the time comes, it'll be of big help in finding him."_

"_Anytime, Sasuke. Also, when you do go to face him, let me know if you need any help. With him being a member of this group, it's likely they may try to interfere with you and your brothers business. I can make sure they won't" _says Naruto.

Sasuke nods, then says _"Your offer is welcomed. And when the time comes, I may take you up on that offer."_

**(present)**

"How I know doesn't matter. Now is there anything more interesting you can offer me or should I just end it here and now?" asked Sasuke, pressing his dagger inwards enough to draw blood.

"How about if I offer you a weapon worthy of a Uchiha warrior? Surely you have heard of the legendary Kusanagi Blade? I happen to have it and it can be yours if you accept my offer" says Orochimaru.

Sasuke considers this, then pulls the dagger away and backs off. "Show me" he says.

Orochimaru stands, then regurgitates said sword. Once he wipes it clean of his saliva and stomach juices, he tosses it to Sasuke. "A most impressive blade, is it not?"

Sasuke carefully examines the blade, then he suddenly sends a burst of Chidori lightning pulsing through the blade, causing it to shatter instantly. "Do you really think a cheap knock off can fool me?"

Orochimaru chuckles, then says "My most sincere appoligies, dear Sasuke. The real sword is housed deep within my kingdom. If you would follow me please."

As they leave the entry room behind, passing through a long tunnel, Sasuke stays on his guard prepared for any potential treachery. After several turns, they emerge into a massive cavern that housed a massive underground city. Once they had descended down the path into the city, Sasuke sees men and women who obviously looked like lesser individuals; people who would not be welcome in society due to crimes they had committed or some other such sin. They soon entered another building and after some more walking, they stop before a large stone wall. Orochimaru makes some hand signs, then places his hand upon the wall, causing a seal to appear and a door to open within the wall. They step inside to Orochimaru's personal vault.

"Behold, the original Kusanagi" says Orochimaru, walking over and picking up the sword, then hands it to Sasuke.

Sasuke immediately channels lightning chakra into the blade, but it doesn't shatter but hums from the resonation. "I notice the handle is different from the fake."

"Indeed. I made the copies with a more stylized handle then the original as I felt it to be to plain for me taste" says Orochimaru as Sasuke takes some practice swings with his new weapon. "Well, Sasuke? Do you accept my proposal?"

"In exchange for this sword, I will give you one month to prove you can teach me something useful. If you cannot, then I will kill you and be on my way" says Sasuke.

"I accept your terms" says Orochimaru. "But I do have but one request should you decide to accept my full training beyond the month."

"And that would be?" asked Sasuke.

"If you stay for the long hall, I will expect payment for my training you. What I want is the Sharingan. If you defeat Itachi, then I want to have his eyes to study. Should you fall, I will take yours instead. Is that acceptable?" asked Orochimaru.

"I will consider it and I will give you my answer when the month is over, should I decide to stay that is" says Sasuke.

"I trust you will make the right choice" says Orochimaru. "Now then, shall we begin your training?"

Sasuke nods and Orochimaru leads him to a more appropriate place to train. As they walk, Sasuke recalls his meeting with Tsunade and Jiraiya the night before, after he had returned to the village and before he had received Naruto's message about Itachi.

**(past)**

"Naruto was the one who made this suppression seal? Not bad; impressive even" says Jiraiya.

"So, can you remove it?" asked Sasuke, looking at Jiraiya. "Even with the suppressor on it, I can still feel it trying to crawl into my head, telling me to go to Orochimaru."

"It shouldn't be that hard seeing as it was created by Orochimaru. He was skilled at many things but seals wasn't one of them. Give me an hour to check a few things for safety reasons and I'll get that mark off you" says Jiraiya.

"Hold on, Jiraiya" says Tsunade, getting Sasuke and Jiraiya's attention. "Maybe we could use this to our advantage."

"How do you mean?" asked Jiraiya.

Tsunade looks at Sasuke and says "Sasuke, I have a dangerous mission for you. The risk to you both physically and mentally is great, but I'm willing to let you look within Konoha's scroll of forbidden jutsu as a reward should you do this."

Both boys look at Tsunade wide eyed at her words. "What is it?" asked Sasuke.

"Hold on, Tsunade. Isn't that forbidden for anyone other than the Hokage to look in that scroll. You breaking a rule like that is...unexpected" says Jiraiya.

"Perhaps, but necessity wins out here" says Tsunade, who then looks at Sasuke. "My mission for you is this. Go to Orochimaru. If my guess is correct, he'll offer to train you in exchange for either yours or Itachi's Sharingan. Don't make it easy for him though. While you're with him, you'll be in a better position to learn all of his secrets."

As Sasuke considers this, Jiraiya ask "You think he's up to something, dangerous?"

Tsunade nods, then says "Though it was difficult, I had Inoichi scan his brain following his death. Because of that, we learned Orochimaru's plan to become a Biju like life form as wished by his parents. But there is still so much we are in the dark about..."

"I'll do it" says Sasuke. "No matter what, we can't let a man like that have his way."

Tsunade closes her eyes and says "Thank you, Sasuke. But in order to make this as believable as possible, we'll need to remove Naruto's seal suppressor. Is that OK with you?"

Sasuke nods, saying "Now that I understand where these impulses come from, I'm confident I can stay in control and not be controlled by them. When should I head out?"

"Rest tonight, head out tomorrow. Tell know one of this mission, just that you are doing something long term for me" says Tsunade. "And also, stay safe Sasuke."

**(present)**

_'I will learn all you have to teach me, Orochimaru. And while I'm at it, I will discover all your secrets as well. And when it's all done, I will kill you for the sake of Konoha...and my friends' _thinks Sasuke as they continue their walk.

**(Order of Ama)**

"And what business do you have here, Konan?"

Konan sighs, shaking her head is disdain, then says "Boy, such anger and resentment coming from you. Don't take your frustrations out on me, Saku, just because you little serogate family here hasn't lived up to your personal expectations. Don't forget that you left us for them, not the other way around."

Sakuya keeps a angry glare on her for a few seconds more before sighing herself and looking away, "Sorry, old friend. Today has been...rather exasperating for me."

"I'm assuming that the Order has decided to join forces with the Biju Jinchuriki? I can't possibly think of anything else that would..." Konan stops and looks around the room. "...set you off like this."

"You have guessed correctly. Honestly, I can't imagine what lady Chiyo is thinking here. Surely she knows that no Jinchuriki is safe. No matter how pure of heart they may be at first, darkness will always consume them eventually and those they care about will suffer" says Sakuya.

"Speaking of past experience?" asked Konan, making Sakuya look away sadly. "I know you loved Bartz with all your heart. He was your life and you would have sacrificed that life without hesitation all for him."

"I thought for sure our love would keep him safe from the demon his father had sealed within him, but I was wrong. In the end, our love wasn't enough and I was forced to kill him with my own two hands. It was because of that that I have chosen the path I have lived to now" says Sakuya, allowing herself a moment to remember those times. Shaking the memories off, she says "I guess this life has now ended too. So, is that offer to join Yahiko's group still open or what?"

"There has always been a place for you with us, you know that? After all, we were all war orphans who lived in Jezai" said Konan.

"So, just how is Yahiko doing these days? And Nagato too? Has he gotten out of his shy faze yet? And have you finally decided which one you like more?" asked Sakuya.

"Yahiko...he's dead. He died in battle a few years ago" said Konan sadly.

"Konan, I'm sorry...I hadn't heard anything. If I had known, I..."

Konan shakes her head, then says "It's alright. You had this new life here and I knew that. Me and Nagato have been busy, continuing our work to fulfill Yahiko's dream and helping Nagato fulfill his destiny."

"Destiny?" asked Sakuya.

"Yeah, a man appeared before us and told Nagato of his purpose in life, to become the second Sage of the Six Paths. As Nagato has the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage, he alone is the only one who can finish what the first Sage started" said Konan.

Sakuya goes wide eyed, saying "Nagato is the heir?" When Konan nods, Sakuya clenches her fist and grinds her teeth. "I knew Hinata was being a fool. Letting her heart deceive her into thinking Naruto is the one just because he saved her of few times. If only I could convince everyone of this."

"Perhaps you can. That is why I'm here" said Konan

"What do you mean?" asked Sakuya.

"As I was asked to join this Order like you were, like my mother had been before her death, I can understand the importance of the Order as mom told me all about it, assuming I would join up as well in time. I believe in order to help Nagato finish his mission, we'll need the Order on our side, as allies."

"And just what is his mission passed on by the first Sage?" asked Konan.

"To destroy the Makai Realm, once and for all. We have the means to do this, but we lack power. But we can obtain the power by capturing the nine Jinchuriki of the Biju to use as a power source for this Makai destroying weapon. His mission is to save the world from the demons once and for all."

Sakuya was shocked to say the least at hearing this. To think meek Nagato was destined for something big like this. "Can Nagato really do it? Destroy the entire Makai Realm?"

"When you next see him, you will understand just how much he has sacrificed for this" said Konan. After a pause, she adds "But before that, we need you here; leading this Order so our alliance can happen, not the one with the Jinchuriki."

"I wish I could help out there, old friend. But after earlier, I doubt I'm still Chiyo's most likely candidate. And besides, given both Hinata's and Chiyo's feelings on Naruto, their trust in him, none of the girls will side with me save for my seven Shades" said Sakuya.

"I had a feeling this would be the case...sort of" said Konan before reaching into her Akatsuki robes and pulling out a bottle containing a clear liquid within. "This can be used to deal with Chiyo."

Sakuya takes the bottle and looks at it, noting the eye dropper like top. "How so?" she asked.

"A single drop of this liquid can cause anyone to fall into a coma that will last a full week. All you need to do is put it in her food or drink and the rest will take care of itself. Also, continued administering of this substance on a weekly bases will not only keep her comatose, but prolonged usage will extend the comatose state beyond the week. A word of warning though, using the entire liquid content in the bottle will cause a permanent coma and if you just force the whole thing down her throat at once, it will be fatal for someone of her advanced years" explained Konan.

"With this, I could take her place and no one would be none the wiser" said Sakuya. "But what about the alliance between the Order and the Jinchuriki? If I just took control of the Order like that and try to stop it, no one will listen to me thus making it pointless."

"That won't be a problem. Before coming to see you, I happened to overhear Hinata and Chiyo talking. It seems Hinata has made arrangements to meet with Naruto early; alone, just the two of them. If you're willing, Nagato can make it so it looks like Naruto has attacked Hinata and thus, turn everyone over to your way of thinking" said Konan.

"He can?" asked Sakuya, getting a nod from Konan. She then gives this some thought. "This offer is...tempting. But, I don't know if I can really do this to Chiyo, to the Order. I..."

"What would you prefer; loyalty to the Order or watch them destroy everything they have worked so long and hard for and all because of one girls misguided heart" asked Konan. Seeing Sakuya still uncertain, she adds "Are you saying you forgive Bartz for nearly killing you?"

This causes a dark fire to awaken deep within Sakuya, who turns back to Konan and says "Never, I can never forgive him. You're right, Konan. Though difficult, this is something I need to do, for the greater good. Like Nagato, I'm willing to make sacrifices for the greater good."

"Glad to see you getting back to your old self again" says Konan. "Now, here's the plan..."

Elsewhere, in her room, Hinata is busy racking her brain over tomorrow. For her private, pre-alliance meeting with Naruto, what should she wear? Not that she had much choice in the matter seeing as her clothes consisted of just priestess robes and Slayer garments. And then there was her hair, should she wearing it differently or not? Maybe a ribbon or two? Yes, this was rather silly, she thought; fussing over this wasn't normal for her. But it was Naruto. She wanted to look her absolute best.

An idea comes to her, a flash of inspiration. Maybe a combo of priestess and Slayer clothes. Moving quickly, she began to work as she had little time before bed time and given the meeting time, she wanted to be fully rested for this.

There was also that other matter. Hinata had recalled Setsuna's words before she and Tenten had left for Ame. That she would soon have what may be an intimate moment with Naruto, that she might give her innocence to him. The fact they would have two hours alone in a place Setsuna had described where they apparently would make love to each other wasn't lost on her. She was both nervous and excited.

_'Naruto, I know tomorrow will be the start of something new for us. I can't wait'_ thinks Hinata with delight. She would do her best for him, she knew that.

**(the next morning)**

"I've brought you your tea, lady Chiyo" said Sakuya, her tone flatter and more drained in sound than usual. This, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Chiyo.

"Child, about yesterday..." Chiyo starts to say, but Sakuya cuts her off.

"I'm sorry, I know I was out of line. But I had to speak my mind. I honestly believe this alliance with them will only bring disaster to the Order" said Sakuya.

"Do you really believe so? Are you sure this isn't about that incident with Bartz?" asked Chiyo.

"I don't want to talk about that. Just drink your tea before it gets cold. After all, it's the last one I'll be able to make for you" said Sakuya.

"What do you mean?" asked Chiyo.

"I've decided to leave the Order; today actually. I've already packed my bags and as soon as I'm done here, I'll be on my way" said Sakuya.

"Sakuya, that isn't necessary. Where would you even go?" asked Chiyo.

"I think I will return to Jezai, see if my old friend Konan still needs a hand around her families shop. And yes, it is necessary. With my feelings as they are, me being here will only cause trouble."

"If that is your decision, then I will support it" said Chiyo before taking a drink from her tea, failing to notice Sakuya's smirk as she does so. "Interesting taste" notes Chiyo. "But I wish you'd give this a chance at least."

Sakuya scoffs at her words. "How can I, after what happened between me and Bartz. I mean, I loved him with all my heart. I would have done anything for him and in the end, he still feel into darkness and tried to kill me. How can I trust any Jinchuriki when the one I loved nearly took my life."

"Wait" says Chiyo, looking at her. "You mean to tell me you still think that?"

"What do you mean?" asked Sakuya.

Chiyo looks away and says "I guess you really did forget or maybe you blocked that memory due to the pain." She then looks back at Sakuya and says "Dear, Bartz didn't betray you. He..." Chiyo stops suddenly as her body begins to feel weird, her head light, and her vision began to blur.

"Is something wrong, lady Chiyo?" asked Sakuya, reaching into her robes and allowing Chiyo to see the bottle Konan had given her.

"Sakuya...what...have you done..." said Chiyo weakly, feeling sleep rising up to claim her.

Sakuya leans in close and says "Making a sacrifice, of course. I love this Order and I refuse to let either you or Hinata destroy it. But don't worry, I'll take care of everyone for you, former head of the Order of Ama, lady Chiyo."

"Sakuya...you...damn foo...l" says Chiyo, her voice barely audible before her tea cup falls from her hand, rolling from her body and falling into the floor, shattering. She collapses back as she falls into her coma.

Sakuya stares at her, Chiyo's words about Bartz and her supposedly not knowing the truth present in her mind. "I do recall that day perfectly. He betrayed me and I killed him for that betrayal. That's all I need to know."

"So, you really did it?" says Konan, appearing by the window.

"Of course. It was all for the Order after all" said Sakuya.

"So what will you do now? Hinata has already left to go meet with Naruto, so stopping her isn't really an option now" said Konan.

"I've already made my plans. I'll wait forty five minutes, then I'll take a group of girls with me to their location under the pretense of bringing the meeting back here as lady Chiyo isn't feeling well. Before we arrive, I'll need you and Nagato to insure my belief Jinchuriki can't be trusted is proven true so I can get the Order to fully side with me" said Sakuya.

"That will be easy. But it may require another sacrifice...on Hinata's part" says Konan.

"What ever it takes. After all, she needs to be punished for loving a Jinchuriki" says Sakuya who then begins to clean up. After all, she needed everyone to believe Chiyo's coma was drug induced.

**(Fleesia Valley)**

Naruto was standing at the center of an open area and was looking around at the wild flowers. They truly were a beautiful sight and made this place even more appropriate for this meeting to held upon. Naruto, not really having anything special to wear, was just wearing his current favorite outfit; black pants with a silver chain hanging from the left waist side, a gray sleeveless shirt, a black hoody with the inside being orange in color and his mother's clan symbol on the back, and orange fingerless gloves.

He was feeling nervous; not about the meeting but being alone with Hinata. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling of butterflies in his stomach since waking up. And he was sure it was some higher power alerting him to something. Perhaps something special was going to happen here today?

"Naruto" comes Hinata's voice, making Naruto smile as he sees her come running towards him.

He could see Hinata was wearing a combination of her priestess and Slayer garments. It was actually an interesting design. Though her hair hadn't grown any longer than what it had been when he had last seen her; being shoulder length, she had still tied it into a short set of pig tails. And the front of her hair was pushed to the side by a pin with a flower on it. He couldn't help but blush at just how beautiful she looked right now.

"Did I make you wait long?" asked Hinata, coming to a stop just a few feet away and looking him over, her own blush present as she thought him being very handsome.

"Naw, I arrived just ten minutes ago" said Naruto.

What followed was a moment of awkward silence as neither really knew what to do next. Well, they both did know. But how to start without coming off as pushy. "So...Naruto...um...will my sister be joining us when miss Mada and Fuu arrive?"

"Yeah, she really wants to see you after all and this is a good time for you two to catch up, you know" says Naruto feeling a little nervous now. "What about Tenten? IS she coming with Chiyo?"

Hinata was also feeling nervous and says "Yeah, I think so. I can't imagine her not coming here herself."

After another moments silence, Naruto says "Boy, I wonder who will come with granny Tsunade? I mean...oh, the hell with it." Before Hinata could blink, Naruto was right next to her, his lips capturing hers as he reaches behind and places his hands on her back, drawing her in against him.

Hinata didn't fight but surrendered herself to the kiss, deep and full of passion which made a soft moan escape from her. After what felt like an eternity, they broke the kiss and looked each other in the eyes. "I hope that wasn't to fast..." said Naruto, but Hinata places a finger to his lips to shush him.

"Just shut up and kiss me" says Hinata, her voice sounding full of lust.

Naruto doesn't hesitate to give her what she wants as their lips mash against each other again, this time with their tongues warring against one another vigorously. Hinata's hands reach around Naruto and grip his shoulders while Naruto slides his down from her upper back to the small of her back. Though not sure if it was appropriate now, but not really concerned about it either, he moves his hands even lower, making Hinata jump from where he was touching her now. But she didn't break their kiss, but pressed herself as much against him as she could. The way she was feeling now, the effect this was having on her body, she knew what was coming next. And judging from what she could feel on Naruto, his body was thinking the same thing.

When they broke apart for the second time, there was a thick strand of saliva connecting them together and both were feeling very hot. They were glad they would have two hours of alone time, yet wished for far more. There was no doubt where this was about to lead for the both of them. And they were more than ready for it.

"Naruto..." says Hinata, deciding to be the one who would get it started. "I'm ready. Please, make love..."

Her words stop as a strong mist quickly covers the area, forcing them to break away and go into an alert status. "Always when I'm having fun" says Naruto to which Hinata agrees silently.

"Do you think its Kiri nin?" asked Hinata.

"Maybe, but there's something about this mist that feels off" says Naruto. He could feel Kyubi's chakra becoming agitated, almost like when he had been in Ame.

"Look, someone's coming" says Hinata, spotting an approaching figure within the fog.

**(Temple of Ama)**

"Tenten, a word" says Sakuya as she enters the main hall.

Once Tenten was with her, Sakuya says "Go gather fourteen other girls to accompany you and me to the meeting place, quick now. I don't care who. We leave once you're finished."

"Sakuya, what's going on?" asked Tenten, vividly recalling yesterday.

"As luck would have it, lady Chiyo is sick again. Personally, I think it a bad omen about these events. But she wants to meeting to continue, so she asked me to meet with the others and request them come back here to make the alliance official" said Sakuya.

"Understood" says Tenten as she goes to leave, but stops and says "No offense, but why are you doing this. Given what happened yesterday, I'm surprised you're even still here. And why do you need fifteen girls, including me?"

"I've decided to leave the Order as I can't support this move. So I'm doing this as a favor for lady Chiyo as my last act as a member of this Order. And as for wanting fifteen Slayers to join me? Just because I'm doing this doesn't mean I'm going to trust those Jinchuriki. As far as I'm concerned, this is still a bad idea than can only end in...pain" said Sakuya.

**(Naruto and Hinata)**

As the figure drew closer, he began to become more visible for them to see. And when they saw the black and red robes commonly worn by members of the Akatsuki, Naruto and Hinata went from being cautious to ready for a hard battle. And when his face finally came into view, Naruto froze at what he saw.

"Hayate-sensei?"

The body that had once been Hayate Gekko came to a stop; his faced covered in back chakra rod piercings, but still recognizable. "Hayate? Oh yes, that was the name this body was once."

"What do you mean?" shouts Naruto.

"This body did die during the time of the Shadow Test, as you already know. But it was a fake that was given back to your village while the original was recycled to serve a greater purpose, to replace my lost Human Realm" said the voice from within Hayate.

"Bastard" growls Naruto.

"Now Jinchuriki, its time to do what I was unable to do before in Ame" says Hayate-Pain. "Its time for you to be captured."

Naruto and Hinata prepare themselves. "Don't worry, Naruto. I've got your back..."

"And I have yours" says a voice from behind them.

Before either Naruto or Hinata can even react to the second voice, Hinata's body jerks violently. Feeling a sharp pain in her chest, Hinata looks down and sees a chakra rod sticking out of her chest. Naruto looks at her wide eyed, time slowing down for him as blood begins to fall from her mouth as the Pain behind her, the one he had suffered a close call with before; the Animal Realm, had been the source of this attack.

"HINATA" shouts Naruto as Animal Realm breaks the rod free from himself, then jumps away as Naruto attempts to attack him. Naruto wants to follow, but seeing Hinata begin to collapse from the corner of his eyes makes him spin around and catch her, lowering her down gently and cradling her close in his arms.

"Naru...to" says Hinata weakly.

She felt so light and frail in his arms. "No, Hinata...please, please no. Don't leave me, Hinata, please" says Naruto in a pleading voice, tears fallowing from his eyes.

Hinata just smiles up at him as she barely manages to reach up and curress's his cheek. "I'll never leave you, Naruto. I...will always be...with you...I...love you...Na...ru...to"

The light in her eyes fades away and her hand falls to the ground as her head turns to the side. In his heart, he knew she was gone. Naruto cries out , begging her to say something else. Finally, he howls in pain before burying his head against her body, crying uncontrollably.

"Is this the first time you've suffered the loss of some one close to you?" asked Pain.

After a moment, he says "I am sorry, but you must understand that this is life; the fate of a Jinchuriki. No matter how much you want it, you can never obtain true happiness. It will always end with pain and death. You, and all like you, have no choice but to suffer a curse..."

"**SHUT UP**" says Naruto, his voice dark, bitter, and filled with hate. He then gently picks up Hinata's limp body and carries it a little ways off. As he walks, he says "I'll kill you in a moment so just wait there."

Once he made some distance, he placed Hinata's body down in a spot filled with flowers that stood out in their beauty. "Just wait here for me, Hinata. I'll be back in a moment..." He then turns his head and looks at the two Pain with a hate filled scowl. "...once I finished with him."

Naruto then disappears, reappearing right on top on Pain, sending a kick that nails Animal Realm in the face and sending him flying while Human Realm; Hayate, quickly jumps away before Naruto can move onto him. Naruto doesn't follow, instead standing in place as a chakra cloak erupts around his body. Human Realm looks at Animal and sees Naruto's attack has damaged his eyes, showing the power held in that one kick. He then looks back at Naruto and sees him manifesting three chakra tails behind him. But he didn't have his Biju control mask on.

_'I see. He isn't wanting control here and now. What he wants it the power of a berserker. That's why he placed the girl off to the side, in order to protect her from being caught in his out of control rampage' _thinks Pain, deciding to force him to battle close to the girl in order keep him restrained in power.

Human Realm goes moving towards Hinata while Animal performs a summoning jutsu, bringing a massive, bear sized tiger onto the field. **"I won't let you touch her" **roars Naruto, lunging at Pain, but is stopped as the tiger summons pounces and begins to maul him.

Seconds later, the tiger goes shooting into the sky, a victim of the Rasengan Naruto had created. With the chakra sphere still present in his hand, Naruto goes after Human Realm he reaches Hinata's body, reaching out to grab it to use a shield.

"**I won't let you"** screams Naruto, accelerating so he can get their before Pain can touch Hinata. Human turns to see Naruto baring down on him, knowing he had been to slow and it was going to cost him.

"Shinra Tensei" says God Realm, his repulsion attack slamming into Naruto and sending him flying to the side.

Though Naruto is sent face slamming into the ground, he is quick to recover and look back as four more figures appear to join Human, who now had Hinata's body firmly within his grasp, and Animal.

"Behold, Naruto Uzumaki, for you stand in attendance with the Six Paths of Pain" said God Realm.

Naruto scowls, then says **"You think I care? Six or six hundred, I will kill you all" **roars Naruto, his voice causing the ground to shake from its power. From behind, a forth chakra tail begins to form. **"For desecrating Hayate-sensei's corpse, I will kill you. For killing Hinata, I will kill you. For daring to use her body as a shield, I will kill you. And for just existing...I...WILL...KILL YOU!"**

And with those final words, Naruto's whole body explodes with energy, enveloped by a dome of demonic chakra.

**(Konoha)**

"Are we ready to go?" asked Tsunade, getting a nod from Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Shikamaru.

Ino also nods, but then suddenly screams out in pain as she falls to her knees, her hands holding her head as she begins to cry. Immediately, everyone is by her side, concern on their faces. "Ino, what is it? What's wrong?" asked Shikamaru.

"No Naruto, don't go there...please" she says in a whimper, feeling his pain, anger, and anguish; knowing in this instant what was happening.

"Naruto?" says Shikamaru.

"Something has happened" says Jiraiya, not liking the feeling he was having.

"Shikamaru, stay here with Ino" orders Kakashi, getting a nod in response from the chunin.

"Hurry everyone, lets move" says Tsunade; her Kakashi, and Jiraiya moving swiftly to get to Naruto.

**(Sanctuary)**

"Grandma, this chakra..." says Fuu as all of them stand before the portal, preparing to leave.

"No doubt about it" says Mada in agreement. _'Naruto's entering Daemon Mode, but why...?'_

"Master, is something wrong?" asked Hanabi.

"Moegi, Hanabi, stay here. We'll be back soon" says Mada as she jumps into the portal.

"But..." says Moegi.

"You heard her. Stay here, no matter what. Don't follow" orders Fuu before following after Mada.

**(Fleesia Valley)**

The dome cracks, then shatters; allowing the six Pains to finally see Naruto after his transformation. God Realm studies him closely as he says "So, a Daemon Mode, huh? How foolish..."

His words are stopped as the ground beneath them explodes as dozens of chakra claws come exploding outwards, forcing them to scatter. Three of the claws manage to grab Hinata's body, freeing it from Human Realm's grasp. With Hinata safe, Daemon Naruto roars before lunging at God Realm.

"Sorry, not gonna let you get close" says God Realm, firing another Shinra Tensei, but Daemon Naruto sends one chakra tail sinking into the ground to act as an anchor. Though he is pushed back, his tail holds, causing him to swing around and nearly land a slash of his claws against God Realm.

Demon Realm comes flying in, using his superior battle strength to attack Daemon Naruto from above, slamming him into the earth with enough force to leave an impact crater. Meanwhile, Animal Realm summons a rhino, elephant, bull, and buzzard like bird.

Demon Realm begins punching Daemon Naruto repeatedly into the ground, causing him to sink deeper and deeper into the earth. He then leaps up, allowing his right arm to open up, and releasing a volley of rockets that sail downward, exploding against his target. He then shoots down, planning to continue his assault. But as soon as he lands, a blast of chakra blows him back skyward, his right arm being destroyed by the blast and forcing him to retreat.

Daemon Naruto rises up just as the four summons come racing at him. Daemon Naruto just snarls at them before racing towards them and effortlessly rips them all apart. Ghost Realm then comes in, grabs him, and tries to siphon off the demonic chakra, but Daemon Naruto blows him off with a chakra pulse.

As God Realm prepares to use the Chibaku Tensei, he is stopped by Konan's words echoing in his mind. _"The Order will be arriving at any minute. Time for you to pull the Pains out, Nagato."_

"It seems we'll have to settle this another time" says God Realm, but freezes momentarily as he sees small balls of black and white chakra blast out from Daemon Naruto, only to fuse into a ball.

He knew what that was; a Biju Dhama. Though staying was dangerous, allowing him to fire it off was perfect as Pain could use it to escape without worry of pursuit. He watches as the ball shrinks a little so Daemon Naruto can take it within himself, causing his body to bulge from its power. The moment he opens his mouth, the Pain scatter as the blast of pure energy is unleashed.

When the smoke clears, only a vicious gash in the earth stretching for a mile is all that can be seen. Daemon Naruto roars before turning his attention to Hinata. A lower, mournful sound comes from him as he moves to her, rubbing her cheek with his own.

"HINATA" screams Tenten, causing Daemon Naruto to turning quickly to see her and the other Slayers looking at him and Hinata in shock and horror.

_'SO this is what you and Nagato had planned huh? Well, at least it will get my point across' _thinks Sakuya before saying aloud. "As I feared, we have been betrayed and Hinata had to pay the price. My Sisters, our path is clear. We must capture this monster so he can be purified. For Hinata..."

"For Hinata" the other girls say as tears stream down their faces.

Tenten, her own tears falling heavy, clenches her fist as she pulls out her weapon. "Naruto, how could you? Hinata...she trusted you, loved you, and yet you...I will make you pay for this...I SWEAR!" And with that, Sakuya and the fifteen Slayers charge at Naruto, ready to capture him.

Daemon Naruto, unable to recognize them due to his current state and believing them a threat to Hinata, roars before heading at them. Kill in his eyes, he will protect her no matter what.

The story will continue in act 2, also known as...

**Naruto Invoke: Trance Forme**

**chpt. 1: Paint My Heart Dark 1**

coming soon 

**N.O. Info**

Well, we finally reached the end of act 1; Overdrive. Right now, I can expect many of you may be mad at the fact I killed Hinata. Some may even want to lynch me. But trust me that her death here was necessary for what has to happen next in the story. But don't worry, she won't stay dead for long for if killing her and making it look like Naruto did it was meant to get the Order to not trust Naruto, then her revival will insure they'll want to side with the Akatsuki.

Now, there will be a chpt. 63 released sometime within the next week. And I have a request for all of you. If any of you, **ANY OF YOU**, have **ANY QUESTIONS **(should it be one or one hundred) please don't hesitate to ask them in either your reviews or through Pming me, though I would prefer them being in your reviews as I'll have a better chance of receiving them in the long run. Then, in chpt. 63, I will answer your questions...within reason of course seeing as I may not be able to give a complete answer if doing so reveals anything I want to keep secret for the moment.

Also, to finish off this bonus chapter, I will include an excerp from a future chapter of Trance Frome. But it won't be from chpt.1, but a chapter further down the line I have already mostly written (due to a burst of insperation that led me to write it while I could remember what had come to me). So ask away and look forward to the bonus chapter and act two series.

Keyote signing off...


	63. Overdrive bonus chapter

Here we are, the **Naruto Invoke: Overdrive** special bonus chapter.

As said in the last chapter; being the last official chapter of Overdrive, we we'll start off by answer a few questions asked of me. Also, take note that if you notice any spelling errors (which are likely to be many), its likely do to the fact that, because this is just a bonus chapter, I decided to not bother with spell check. And also, all things below (save for the very last bit which deals with act 2's release time) should be considered potential spoiler heavy. So read at your own risk.

Any who, lets get with the questions...

First, we have JOHNXgambit who asked **so is ino going to try and make her move on naruto?**

To be honest, this is actually a hard one to answer. Naturally, Ino isn't the kind of girl to try to get with Naruto under the current circumstances (the death of Hinata and his forcoming time of grieving). But to say that something won't happen either is also important to say. There is something coming up following the **Paint My Heart Dark arc** where Ino comes to Sanctuary for a specific reason. Does something happen between her and Naruto at this time will ultimately be up to you, the reader in determine based on your own personal interperitation of the scene in question.

Besides, Ino isn't Sakura; using a fake love confession on Naruto to get him to end his quest to save Sasuke due to believing she owes him (because of Sai) and as a substitute for her real reason for being there, to tell Naruto that the others have made their own decision on what should be done with Sasuke for the greater good.

The next isn't really a question meant for me, but an outward thought from mrpeeples, but I'll answer it anyways.

Your thoughts were **I wonder who will win. 15 slayers or Daemon naruto? **Truth is, there will be no winners here. No matter how this incident gets resolved (in chpt.1 of NITF obviously), there will be no winners, just losers because this, after all, is a lose lose situation not matter how you slice it. Either Naruto gets captured and thus is sealed into the Mazo or he kills even one Slayer and thus insures they'll never fully trust him because of that fact, even when the truth of the betrayals comes to light.

At my buddy, Chewie Cookies, all I can says is: I'm-a good with them evil cliff hangers and expect plenty more to come in **Trance Forme**, (cue maniacle laughter).

To redspud, you asked **But what about Hinata?** Obviously, Tenten will believe her no matter what and the same will be true for other girls. Hell, even Setsuna likely has a way to confirm Hinat's story using her powers. And Sakuya would know all of this. So, do you really think they will revive Hinata without making sure she confirms what they want her to confirm? Just prepare for things to become complicated...

adngo714 wondered **what made Sakuya kill Bartz? **While its still to soon to reveal the full story, I will say this much. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment (and possible hysteria) can lead a person to do something horrible, then block that memory afterwards; creating a falsehood to act as a stand in.

Now for my Guest. For your first question, you asked **How much does Daemon Mode match up with "Version 2" or the Blood cloaked Jinchuriki form? **In Naruto's case, his current appearance is identical to how he looked when he went into four tailed mode against Orochimaru at Tenchi Bridge. Basically, Daemon Mode is the name I've given to the version 2; blood/chakra cloak mode to go along with version 1 chakra shroud form being called Mazuko Mode in this story.

As for your second question; **About the designs of the fake Kusanagi and the original? **Yes, the fakes resmble the ones seen in the anime during the Orochimaru vs Sarutobi fight with the hilt being all scale covered like the body of the snake while the true Kusanagi's hilt resembles the one Sasuke has and uses in both manga and anime.

And at Spartan Ninja; bring on your million copies for I have Hinata at my back and I'll tell her you are the one keeping her from being with Naruto. See how long you last then hah hah hah.

**(moving on)**

Now that the questions are out of the way, we move on to a series a hints as to what is coming. **Warning, the following does contain some slight spoilers, so don't read if you want to keep pure in the knowing, or lack there of...**(take note that these events may not be in exact order of happening)

The first arc, do to the tragic events, Yami resurfaces and gains control and must be stopped before he does something that will insure Naruto can never come back...

Beyond that...

The girl begins her training anew, a falsehood being her fuel towards greater strength...

On a walkabout, the boy meets familiar faces and finds the resolve to carry one...

A new wind begins to blow as a new Sage emerges to claim tomorrow...

Darkness falls again upon Senhana, death and destruction will beckon the hero to come...

The fox and the snake will face each other again for the sake of a simple question...

A return to the hellish realm to uncover the truth behind the traitor of the Uchiha...

Tobi's truth and Mada's truth, together they shall be revealed in a fight to the death...

The young girl will awaken the eyes of the sister...

The true face will be revealed and the original snake will walk this world again...

The princess will return to claim her right, bringing her demons with her...

Shamans and Samurai, and alliance for war with aid from the man called the Man Slayer..

She will finally achieve the state of All Knowing...

In the forbidden city, the fates of the two will be decided with the addition of the one...

**(moving on)**

Yeah, that's a lot of stuff I said above and its all stuff I've already decided will happen in act 2, though expect a few additions for padding sakes (there will be a third act to Invoke that will finish off the story).

Now, for the last bit in this bonus chapter, I'll give you an excerp from one of the Trance Forme chapters. Note that this isn't from chapter 1, but one further down the lines that (like I said last chapter), I wrote in a moment of pure insperation that came to me. I don't know the number this chapter will have for obvious reasons, though I'm guessing it will be twenties of maybe thirties. But enough cocking around.

Like above, do not read this if you don't want ANY spoilers for Trance Forme. If you do skip, then jump all the way to the bottom for Trance Forme's release date. And now, for those of you who are reading, I give you...

**chpt.?: Badass Syndrome**

"So why did you come here. Konoha dog?" asked Jirobo as he and the others looked down at Naruto.

"I'm currently not a ninja of Konoha" replies Naruto matter of factly.

"That is not the issue; we're asking why you have come here" said Kidomaru.

"Is it to get revenge on lord Orochimaru and us for what we did to Konoha?" further asked Tayuya.

"I do have business with Orochimaru; so either take me to him or step aside" replied Naruto.

"Cheeky brat. You are in no position to be making such grandious commands unto us" said Sakon.

Naruto looks up at them, his face showing his seriousness, as he says "I'll make you take me to him."

The four Oto nin become angry at those words before spreading out to surround Naruto from all sides. Naruto just turns his head and shifts his body enough to view each one before sighing and saying "I guess this was unavoidable; oh well."

"You really want us to take you to lord Orochimaru?" asked Tayuya.

"Fine then, we'll take you to him..." said Jirobo.

"In pieces" finish's Kidomaru before spitting his web from his mouth; aimed at Naruto.

Naruto simply shifts his body; allowing the webbing to fly past him. He then grabs hold of the web before looking up at Kidomaru and says "Don't be shy", then yanks on the webbing hard to causing Kidmaru to be flung down towards him.

_'Damn, he's improved since that last time' _thinks Kidomaru as he prepares to counter attack.

"Sorry, but that won't work" said Naruto, seeing Kidomaru's hand signs.

Then, using his free hand, Naruto makes a hand sign himself and says in a quiet voice "Release."

Kidomaru sees Naruto's body pulse for a second, but grabs onto his web and tries to swing around Naruto while wrapping the webbing around his neck with plans to choke him to death. But Naruto raises his left arm up and close lines Kidomaru; sending him into the ground.

"What?" shouts Kidomaru before Naruto picks him up and effortlessly tosses him a good hundred feet back and sending him crashing through a wall.

"No way..." shouts Tayuya.

"That brat just got lucky" says Jirobo before jumping down onto the ground, then charges at Naruto.

Just as Jirobo gets close, Naruto turns calmly to look at him before moving at incredible speed and grabs Jirobo's face and lifts him into the air. As Jirobo struggles to get free, Naruto slams him into the ground with enough force to create a crater.

Sakon then jumps down, but doesn't go at Naruto. Instead, he ask "How the hell are you doing this?"

Naruto turns to look at him and in doing so, Sakon gets his answer just by looking at Naruto. "So that's it. You entered Sage Mode somehow."

"A shadow clone I made before coming in here. I released it while the web head was falling towards me" explained Naruto.

Sakon remembers Naruto making a hand sign just before plowing Kidomaru into the ground. "I see. We had heard that Jiraiya had taken you under his wing; trained you to become his successor as a Sage. But seeing you as such is rather unexpected."

"Will you take me to see your boss now? Or do I have to encourage your cooperation?" asked Naruto.

Sakon chuckles a little before saying"Don't tell me you actually believed seeing you as a Sage would really make us cower in fear and take you to see our lord? Though I admit that this is a troublesome turn of events. It is also nothing that we can't handle."

At his words, Jirobo rolls away from Naruto, then gets back on his feet and moves to stand by Sakon while Tayuya jumps down to join them. Kidomaru also emerges from the hole in the wall and joins them as well.

"So, you think stage two of the curse mark will work against me?" asked Naruto.

"No, the second stage wouldn't be enough" said Ukon as he sepporates from Sakon's back.

"So that's why..." said Kidomaru.

"We'll take it into..." said Jirobo.

"The THIRD STATE" shouts Tayuya as they each jump into the air and away from each other while black tendrils burst forth from their curse marks and wrap around their bodies like cocoons.

Naruto squints his Sage eyes as he thinks _'Their chakra's are increasing at an exponential rate; filling with so much negative energy and animosity, such hate and evil.'_

After a few tense seconds, cracks appear on the enlarged cocoons before they burst open and release their owners, who land on the ground. The sight of them fills Naruto with disgust as he takes up a stance that will allow him to better conter attack.

Jirobo had transformed into a massive and bulky golem like creature that was at least three times Naruto's size. His skin looked to be made of a coal like armor.

Kidomaru had morphed into a spider who's eight legs looks like rolled out pieces of paper. His head was oval shaped and covered in spikes and his body was long and thin like a missile.

Tayuya appeared the most human of them; her long slender body with very long legs that ended in points instead of feet. Her arms were slim at the shoulders, but grew into wide hands. She seemed to be floating somehow and her head had snake like hair and long pointed imp like ears.

Both Sakon and Ukon had morphed into what appeared to be one winged gargoyle like beast. And as they did in their other states; they appeared to be mirror images of one another. Weirdest was the fact they had holes in the center of their chest, yet appeared to be uneffected by it.

"I'll ask once more; take me to your boss and we can avoid any unneeded difficulties" said Naruto.

"**Avoid any unneeded difficulties? Don't make us laugh" **shouts Kidomaru before launching himself into the air, spinning rapidly as he did so, and made a beeline towards Naruto.

Tayuya growls at Naruto before the lines along her body light up and she vanishes from sight. Both Sakon and Ukon began to fly in a circular motion over Naruto while Jirobo slams his massive fist together as he prepares for his attack.

Kidomaru controls him movement through the air, shifting his movements as he comes down at Naruto. Building up Sage chakra into his feet, Naruto jumps clear as Kidomaru comes zooming past him. As Naruto comes to land on the ground again, he sees Kidomaru's body stop spinning as his paper thin legs suddenly shoot outwards at him.

"What...?" shouts Naruto before the legs come in and wrap around him, pinning his arms to his body and his legs together.

"**Welcome to my web, said the spider man to the brat. Now, time to finish you" **says Kidomaru as he opens his massive maw of a mouth and unleashes an alarming amount of silver colored webbing.

The webbing hits Naruto, covering him from head to toe till his body was completely incased within the silver cocoon. Satfisfied, Kidomaru breaks the still exposed parts of his legs away and draws them back close to his body.

"**Now, time to have myself a...WHAT?" **shouts Kidomaru as the silver cocoon starts to shake, then a blade of emerald green chakra slices out of the cocoon, then up till the cocoon splits in half.

"Is that all?" asked Naruto as he takes the Shift Anchor in his hand and begins to spin it around his finger via the small loop at the end of the hilt.

Kidomaru roars as he sends his paper thin legs racing down at Naruto again while Sakon and Ukon also move to attack him.

"Just give it up; you can't win" said Naruto who returns to the Shift Anchor to it's holding place within the right sleeve of his sage garment. He then raises his right arm into the air; a ball of spiraling chakra forming followed by four energy blades emerging from the sphere.

Sakon and Ukon stops as they see the massive energy shuriken; knowing that it was dangerous just from looking at it. Kidomaru, on the other hand, ignores to obvious signs and keeps his attack at Naruto coming.

"Wind style Rasengan; Rasenshuriken" says Naruto calmly before launching the attack at Kidomaru.

The paper thin legs of Kidomaru's spider form are caught in the spinning and spiraling attack and are instantly destroyed by it. Kidomaru finally realizes the danger and tries to back away, but he finds his body being sucked closer to the shuriken as his legs were pulling him in.

"**NO, IMPOSSIBLE. YOU CAN'T BE THIS STRONG" **screams Kidoamru as he is sucked into the shuriken.

The moment his body touches the blades, the energy attack expands and sucks him into the center. Kidomaru's scream is drowned out by the sound of millions of microscopic Rasengan's rip into his body. Finally, the attack comes to an end and the shredded remains of Kidomaru falls onto the ground.

"That's one down" said Naruto as he looks up at the twin gargoyles.

"**You bastard; how dare you make a mockery of lord Orochimaru's gift" **shouts Jirobo in his deep, booming voice.

A pulse of energy passes through his massive, rocky arms that passes into the ground and slices a large sized chunk of it free. Then, digging into the earth, Jirobo pulls the massive piece of earth free from the ground and lifts it into the air over his body.

"Well, you certantly are strong" said Naruto as he brased himself with his feet digging into the ground.

"**Now to squash you like the bug you are" **says Jirobo as he tosses the massive piece of earth at Naruto.

Naruto shouts out a battle cry as he brings both his hands out before his body, further bracing himself to try to block the attack. The chunk of earth crash into Naruto, creating a thunderous crash as the ground shakes from the impact.

"**That ended his bravado" **said Jirobo.

"**Wait, something is happening" **said Sakon as the chunk of earth begins to shake.

Then, to their surprise and astonishment, the massive chunk is lifted into the air. Naruto then appears, holding the earth with a single hand and a smirk on his face as he looks at Jirobo.

"Excuse me; is this you?" asked Naruto.

"**DAMN YOU" **bellows Jirobo before charging forward, slowly due to his added weight, at Naruto.

"I guess so. Here, then let me return it to you" said Naruto before shifting his position, brings his right hand back, then thrust forward and sends the chunk flying back at Jirobo.

The giant Oto nin tries to block it like Naruto had somehow done before. But when the chunk of earth hits him, it impacts with so much force that both it and Jirobo go sailing back and crashing through a wall. Only a small part of his body was still visible; the rest had been crushed from the result of action.

Naruto looks up at Sakon and Ukon and ask "Well, ready to play ball now?"

**(within Orochimaru's private chambers)**

The sudden and violent shakes in his layer had not gone unnoticed by the snake Sannin who gets up from his chair and walks towards the door. Before taking his fifth step, the door opens and Kabuto enters the room.

"Kabuto, mind telling me what is going on?" asked Orochimaru.

"It would seem that we have an unexpected visitor. The Four Wave's have engaged him in combat and from what I can sense, they have entered the third state" said Kabuto.

"Most intruging" said Orochimaru as he smiled deviously.

"Perhaps, but that does make me feel some concern here. After all, once entered into the third state, one can never revert back to their original self. For the Four Waves to go this far; just what kind of enemy would force them to sacrifice their humanity?" asked Kabuto.

"An enemy I would very much like to meet" said Orochimaru in anticipation. "Where is Kimimaro?"

"I believe he's already gone to investigate himself" said Kabuto.

"Then we better hurry or we'll miss all of the fun" said Orochimaru as he and Kabuto turn and exit the room.

**(back with Naruto and the Four Wave's)**

Seeing as the two gargoyle wannabe's were still holding their tongues, Naruto decided to force the issue. But just as he takes a step, a sudden flash of light appears next to his left arm, just above the elbow, followed by a deep cut appearing in his clothes and blood bursting forth from the cut.

_'What?' _thinks Naruto before another flash occurs on his right leg running down.

Another burst of blood occurs before Naruto collapses to his knee. At first, Naruto is confused by what was happening. Then he remembers the girl having dissapeared before and realizing that she must be doing it.

_'OK Naruto, just stay calm and think. First, did she just make herself invisible or is she moving incredibly fast? Judging from the injuries she's inflicting on me, it has to be the latter as while I'm in Sage Mode, cutting me like this would be extremely difficult' _thought Naruto as he calmed himself.

Having figured that part, the next step was how to counter her; assuming his guess was right. Throwing his arms up to cover his face as he slightly hunchs forward, Naruto closes his eyes and reaches out with his sensory abilites. And from this, he is able to pick her up all over the opened area.

_'Guess I was right about the speed power' _thought Naruto as he went to the next step.

As Tayuya pelts him with more strikes that sent blood shooting out, Naruto sees a pattern forming with her movement. Before each attack, she would always come at him in a straight line. As she hits him with another strike, Naruto begins to form a Rasengan in one hand.

After detecting her circling around and coming at him again, Naruto spins around and brings the Rasengan in line with her movement just in time for Tayuya to run into it before she could dodge around. She howls in pain as she's sent flying back; slamming into a wall.

"**We got you, now" **shouts Sakon as he swoops in and fires a beam of chakra from the hole in his chest.

Naruto barely jumps clear in time before the beam slams into the ground, destroying everything in that spot. Just as he lands, Naruto sees Ukon come at him from another angle and fires off his own chakra beam. Naruto jumps again, only to find himself being hit by another beam sent out by Sakon.

As Naruto tries to get back on his feet, thanking Kami that he was still in Sage Mode or that would have killed him outright, notices Sakon and Ukon come around and take up positions to fire on him again.

_'Damn, I'm almost of of Sage Chakra. I better make this attack count' _thinks Naruto as the two brothers fire their attacks at him.

Naruto uses his left hand to propel himself into the air to avoid the attack, but the beams follow after him; thus letting Naruto know they could likely be hit by the others attack without consequence.

Naruto comes to a stop between them and crosses his hands over his chest as he gathers his Sage chakra together for this final justu. As the chakra beams come upon Naruto, he shouts out...

"Sage art: Nature Pulse."

Naruto thows his arms outwards and unleashes a pulse of chakra like a bubble outwards. The chakra pulse slams into Sakon and Ukon, sending them flying back and impacting them into the wall/ceiling. Naruto falls back to the ground, breathing heavily as he feels his Sage Mode starting to fade out.

"Well, at least I dealt with them" said Naruto as he starts to get back to his feet.

"Impressive. I didn't expect you to beat them within the third state" came a voice that makes Naruto spin around.

Just in time for him to be impaled through the stomach by a large bone spike. Naruto coughs up blood as he finds himself back on the ground, stuck there. Four more bone spikes come raining down and pin Naruto's hands and feet to the ground as well. And then, Kimimaro appears within view.

"Its been a while" said Kimimaro as he looks down at Naruto.

Naruto, despite the pain, recognizes Kimimaro immediately and says "You, you're the one I battled during the invasion of Konoha."

Kimimaro nods and says "You remember; I'm honored. So, you came for lord Orochimaru?"

"That's right" said Naruto as he tries, in vain, to free himself.

"Then I must kill you then" said Kimimaro as he reaches into his garments and pulls out a metal ball. He then lights the fuse and tosses it down at Naruto. A second later, the metal ball explodes.

"I am sorry for this. After all, I did owe you a debt" said Kimimaro as he turns to leave.

But before he could take a step, a blast of energy erupts from the smoke made by the explosion; making Kimimaro turn back in time to see Naruto shoot out of the smoke into the sky.

"So, you survived some how. Did you enter Sage Mode again?"

A second later, Naruto turns to look at Kimimaro; revealing his Kyu Mask and his red irises and slit like pupils. A second later, a cloak of red/orange chakra forms around Naruto followed by three chakra tails rising up out of the cloak.

"Now I see. You are, after all, a Jinchurriki first and formost. So, this will be a little more difficult than one would imagine" said Kimimaro as he activates his curse mark and enters the second stage.

Looking down and seeing Kimimaro's skin turn brown and a tail growing out, Naruto growls as he thinks _'Its been a while since I last used this power. I hope I'm not rusty._

"_**So, are we ready to begin our battle?" **_asked Kimimaro.

"**Before we beging, I have a question for you"** asked Naruto.

"_**And that would be?" **_asked Kimimaro.

"**Before, you said you owed me a debt. What did you mean by that?" **asked Naruto.

"_**When we last battled, I ran you through with one of my bone weapons. When I did this, a pulse of your demonic chakra shot into me. That chakra apparently cured me of my terminal illness. For that, I owe you a debt; even if that was a fluke" **_said Kimimaro.

"**If you take me to see Orochimaru, then I'll consider that debt repayed. Not that you owe me anything" **said Naruto.

"_**I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that. If you want my lord, then you'll have to kill me" **_said Kimimaro.

"**Have it your way" **said Naruto as he released both Shift Anchor's from his sleeves, grabbing them and forming deep red chakra blades from the center of the tri-blades..

**(end of excerp)**

I gott admit, that was longer than I planned to give out, but I figured what the hell. The above is basically all I have wriiten of this particular chapter thus far. The rest will be done once I actually get to the point the chapter actually happens in Trance Forme. The additional parts will include a scene before Naruto vs the Sound Four involving other characters (I'm staying mum on who for now) and will continue and end with Naruto vs Kimimaro and Naruto facing Orochimaru, the last line being Naruto asking his question.

Now for the big question I know you are all asking? Just when exactly will **Naruto Invoke: Trance Forme** be coming to FF? While I would like to say "the first chapter is already up", that would be a lie as I haven't started writing chapter 1 yet. I've decided that before I begin Trance Forme, I will be releasing my second Naruto Invoke movie fic.

So be on the look out over the next couple of weeks for my release of **Fade Away; Say My Name** which will compromise chapters 6 through 10 of the existing **Naruto Invoke movie fics **fan fiction, which already had Demon of the Blue Kingdom movie fic as its chapters 1 through 5. I'm not sure when it will be out, but I say look for it either the week of Halloween or the first full week of November. And Trance Forme will begin before Thanksgiving.

Well, that's it for now. I hope you all read Fade Away; Say My Name when its released (and Demon of the Blue Kingdom if you haven't yet already) and will return for Invoke act 2.

This is Keyote, signing off and beging to work on the movie fic no.2!


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